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IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 14th Sep 2017 Archives ENVIRONMENT 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: Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Water Pollution, Wastewater management. Water management: Reinventing organisations Background: A category IV hurricane Harvey that struck Texas in the US cause 50 fatalities, whereas a lesser intensity rainfall and floods cause nearly 500 fatalities and affect 10 million people in north India. Floods wreak havoc again this year in Bihar and UP impacting the life of the common man. Issues: Floods remain destructive despite the fact that a maze of embankments have been built with considerable investment since decades as defence against floods by multitude of water organisations across India. Lakes in Bengaluru catch fire with amazing consistency as rivers run as toxic streams across Indian cities and towns. Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Ahmedabad, drown season after season. Farmers commit suicide as rain fails coupled with poor efficiency of canal irrigation. Concomitantly, groundwater levels have plummeted to alarming levels. Hundreds of crores of rupees have been committed across India since independence for structural intervention as flood defence or defence against droughts. The engineering structures have not been worthy of the investment. International example: The Netherlands and Germany have constructed embankments or dykes as a defence against floods, but when these countries discovered that the investment on structural interventions as a defence against floods isn’t worthy, they changed the very concept of management of floods with a novelty namely, “Room for Rivers” or “Living with Floods”. Similarly in the US, as and when dams end their utility, they have been decommissioned, barrier removed to enable river flow smoothly. Reasons behind chaos in the water sector: India’s chaos in the water sector is primarily due to the prevalence of status quo with its outdated and dogmatic water institutions and organisations leading to outdated ideas and methods. The institutions and organisations from where the ideas originate remain the same since independence. Whether it is management of floods or droughts, the engineers in these organisations cannot think beyond the perspective of engineering solutions. Constitutional position: The Constitutional mandate over jurisdiction of Centre and States over water i.e. Entry 17 and Entry 56 that is outdated, creates confusion and lacks clarity, as it is inspired by pre-Independence era, Government of India Act, 1935. The Constitutional position is blind to the 21st century concepts such as “Integrated Water Resources Management”, “Environment flows”, “Conjunctive use”, “Basin management, “Groundwater”, “Water markets”, “Water footprint” and “Virtual water trade”. Multitude of organisations: A multitude of water organisations and institutions in India has been a bane of the water sector. About 23 organisations and ministries deal with water resources at the union government alone. Similar counterparts exist at State, district and village levels with overlapping jurisdictions. Primary issues such as pollution control, ground water management, policy and planning, environment concerns, rural and urban water supply have been torn between multiple organisations, institutions, ministries, norms and guidelines. Paradoxically, these organisations rarely co-ordinate or integrate between themselves to solve a water problem. Irrelevant organisations: Many water organisations in India have become irrelevant in 21st century due to the decades-old mandate of “build” or scientism of dam-building activities that includes barrages, dykes and canals, which were relevant in the 1950s and 1960s. These are irrelevant today. Untrained manpower: Engineers, dominating water organisations in India, aren’t trained to recognise the inter-disciplinary nature of water resources. In many State water resources departments, most engineers aren’t from specialisations of hydrology or hydraulics at all, which explains why India’s water sector lacks innovation. An example: Central Water Engineering Services, the only organised water service cadre of union government isn’t composed of technocrats who opted water resources as a career choice but composed of the rejects who aspired for railways or roads or buildings or even civil services as their career choice. These flaws have caused stagnation of ideas in water governance and management thus leading to a water crisis of monstrous proportions as witnessed in the form of floods, droughts and pollution across India, every now and then. New challenges: The 21st century faces daunting challenges that were unknown 70 years ago, like: Population explosion. Change in consumption pattern. Rise in demand for water for agriculture, industry and environment. Plummeting groundwater levels. Climate change. Water conflicts, silting dams. Closed basins. Deteriorating quality of freshwater. Water conflicts threatening the federal structure of the country. The above challenegs demand fresh ideas and solutions beyond engineering ones. The challenges of the future: Ageing of dams Permanent loss of live storage, basin closure etc. Climate variability, water conflicts, etc. Way ahead: The above mentioned issues cannot be overcome with a business-as-usual approach or with the same archaic ideas of structural intervention. The water crisis as demonstrated by the floods and water scarcity, and the futility of current methods demands governments to urgently revamp water institutions and organisations to liberate the water sector from 20th century dogma. We need to generate fresh ideas and innovations through a multi-disciplinary workforce to overcome the daunting challenges to the water sector. Reinvent the entire organisational structure, institutions and constitutional status for water organisations and institutions at union, State and local level at the earliest. Conclusion: The impact of a worsening water crisis on the nation’s economy, society and the environment is acute. Unsuspecting citizens face worsening health crises due to consumption of contaminated water, thereby destroying their hard earned savings. It is time we reinvent organisations and generate new ideas so as to save India from water crisis. Connecting the dots: Archaic water governance and management has lead to a water crisis of monstrous proportions as witnessed in the form of floods, droughts and pollution across India, every now and then. Critically analyze. Discuss the challenges being faced when it comes to managing water crisis like floods year after year in India. Also elaborate what needs to be done at both organisational and constitutional level to solve the issue. ECONOMY 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. Inclusive growth: Indispensable to reach India's full economic potential Background: Today, India is in the midst of an equally monumental struggle in economic liberalization. An economic future of broadly shared prosperity and vanishing poverty for more than 1.2 billion people is within grasp. To get there, however, calls for advancing inclusive growth. Good economic performance: India’s economic performance in recent years has been outstanding in relation to both its own historical record and the global economy. Between 2010 and 2016, for example, annual real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in India averaged 6.7% despite a relatively weak post-crisis global economy that averaged only 2.7% annual gains. Deficiencies in economy remains: There is a growing recognition that many deficiencies in the economy remain deep-seated and if not effectively addressed could undermine future growth. Employment growth: Despite strong economic growth in the last decade, job growth averaged only approximately 2% a year in the formal sector. Such growth is basically flat when adjusted for the growing population. In the coming decades, some 12-15 million Indians will enter the labour force each year, and if the current job growth trends persist, fewer than half of them will be able to secure formal employment of any kind. For those who fail to find formal employment, their only option is to work in the informal economy. Informal sector: It is estimated that about 80% of India’s labour force works in the informal economy. Jobs in the informal economy are typically insecure, with neither employment contracts nor regular pay, and very often workers are engaged on a day-to-day basis. The working conditions in the informal economy therefore resemble a low-productivity trap. Employers have no incentives to invest in training workers who are seen as transient and interchangeable or to invest in better tools and equipment for them. Without some assurance of future income, workers find it difficult to plan for the long term, let alone find the means to invest in learning new skills. The informal economy thus embodies the exact opposite of inclusive growth: workers are effectively excluded from accessing many of the resources they need to make themselves more productive and thereby improve their life chances. Low-productivity: At the most basic level, economic growth results from labour force growth and productivity growth of workers. With 80% of the labour force stuck in low-productivity activities in informal employment, it is not surprising that the Indian economy is performing far below its true potential. Way ahead: Advancing inclusive growth is important in India today. Reducing the size of informal economy: For the Indian economy to reach its growth potential, ways and means must be found to move workers from informal to formal employment. Ultimately, the economy can reach its full potential only when the hundreds of millions of Indian workers can escape the trap of low productivity. Reducing the size of the informal economy is pivotal to inclusive growth. It allows India to reach its growth potential and deliver broadly shared prosperity for the vast majority. Sustaining a real GDP growth rate of 7% each year until 2040 will quintuple per capita GDP to $28,000 on a purchasing power parity basis. By 2040, India will also reach its maximum share of the working-age population. This will help endow the youth bulge with meaningful, well-compensated and rewarding formal employment in a society where prosperity is broadly shared and absolute poverty has become a thing of the past. Convergence of recent reforms: Recent reform initiatives are preparing the ground for greater inclusion. The biometric-based unique identification system, Aadhaar, now ensures that the poor are no longer invisible and, therefore, more empowered. A bank account for every adult now ensures universal access to financial services, at least in principle. When combined with Aadhaar, such access will accelerate financial inclusion. The shock of demonetisation and the introduction of the new national goods and services tax will gradually expand India’s tax base and eliminate incentives for businesses to operate in the shadow of the formal economy. Much greater gains will be realized when the different reforms begin to converge to bring more people into the mainstream economy altogether. What is needed is to sustain the push for more reforms, not fewer. Conclusion: After 70 years of independence, what India needs to do next is clear: democratize productivity through inclusive growth to finally reach its full economic potential. Connecting the dots: Despite good economic performance in recent years, many economic deficiencies especially large informal sector and poor job growth remains. In this perspective how inclusive growth us required so that India could reach its full economic potential. MUST READ Equality for what The Hindu Towards war's end in Syria The Hindu An unbecoming compromise Indian Express The case for alliance Indian Express Bite the bullet Indian Express Why power matters in the digital world Livemint Whatever happened to Panchayati raj Business Line
UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 42] Archives Q.1) A chemical component that is found in all viruses is: Protein DNA RNA Glycoproteins Q.2) Consider the following statements about Northern river terrapin It is native to India and Bangladesh It is listed in CITES Appendix II They are found in both freshwater and brackish water habitats Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.3) Consider the following statements The Far Eastern Federal District of Russia has land borders with China and North Korea Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake by volume in the world located in Siberia Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Tokyo Convention 1963 was in news recently, concerning No-Fly List Rohingya Refugees Diplomatic immunity Sedimentary basins Q.5) Which of the following Indian States borders Rakhine State of Myanmar? Mizoram Nagaland Manipur None of the above To Download the Solution - Click here All The Best IASbaba
Mumbai Floods: The Urban Infrastructure Challenge Archives TOPIC: General Studies 3 Infrastructure Disaster and disaster management. The most common observations during heavy rains lashing the cities are flooding, water logging, road-rail-air traffic halted etc. Similar observations are made in Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru which slow down during rains. Causes for flooding of cities Weather Though to some extent, the weather is responsible for the disruptions caused. But as it is a natural phenomenon, proper care and appropriate decisions can be taken so that right implementation is done during such unexpected emergencies. No lessons learnt However, rainfall is expected very year and it is known that there have been previous incidences of flooding of cities from which lessons can be learnt. For example, in Mumbai, rains in 2005 were 3 times than in 2017. But nothing has been learnt from the past. Drainage blockage The drive of development taking in Mumbai and other urban areas is inviting the disasters. They are natural disasters aggravated by man-made haphazard development of cities. Such kind of ‘city flooding’ is not heard of in other countries. What US faced was hurricane which is absolute natural phenomenon. Flood in rivers, cyclones are universal. But flood in cities and urban areas is recent Indian phenomenon. However, it is not even flood but drainage congestion. The problem for accepting it as a drainage problem and not as flood means that there will be accountability arisen on the concerned department. Natural drainages are blocked because of unplanned development in cities. They are filled with mud and stones and roads and buildings are built over it. If the city gets concretized, the water will not seep down the ground, thereby leading to flooding of urban infrastructure. No plans to evolve The drainage system in place in most of the cities of India is from the 20th century during British regime. This has not been substantially changed to resume, alter or modify according to the growing requirements of the larger population. Thus, the builders are to be blamed for and also the people who allow them to build wherever and whatever they like. As a result of this, they build in low lying areas. Lack of preparation Various agencies that have to plan and implement- state government departments, Municipal Corporation, response agencies- they have no cohesion between them. There is State Disaster Management Authority and State Disaster Response Force. But the quality of the people and the training required is not upto standards as seen in NDMA and NDRF. Neither they are getting experts with them nor are they getting young recruits like NDRF. Most of the state governments are not so serious about it and it is mostly about filling the gap. Along with it, latest technology is available but it is not utilized. Almost negligible power to local government Issue of urban governance has two aspects local government empowerment motivation to local government to take decisions The technology is available to delineate and map all the drainage systems. There is satellite imagery data through BHUVAN and ministry of urban development had launched National Urban Information System to geo-Reference all the natural infrastructure and natural drains. These are also delineated and shown in master plan. However, the local level management is not able to take the benefits of the same. Poor urban planning Government has constructed large projects in river bed. The new AP capital city is nuilt in an area which is highly flood prone. Disaster management As far as NDRF is concerned, there is technology, equipment and training about it. Whenever the information is given, they are ready to take action. But the cooperation from the state government, metrological departments, equipment available at the place and help of NGOs, there is lack of communication and coordination. What needs to be done? Lot of unauthorized activities are done in drainage areas. Natural nalas are covered with habitation, jhuggis. If these are allowed and water is able to take natural course, there will be prevention of flooding. Municipalities have to be empowered. There is Delhi municipality and also there is Delhi Jal Board which handles the sewerage system and water supply system. So these are interlinked issues where sewage-drainage-water supply are intertwined. In every state there is multiplicity of agencies and therefore municipality has become one of the agency and not the agency. It is time that all the agencies dealing with developmental activities and governance framework are integrated with municipalities concerned. But this will take a while as for 70 years there have gone bypassing the local government. It was because of programmes like BRGF and JNNURM and now AMRUT that municipalities are coming back to some position. The long term and medium term resolution lies in putting integrated coordinated governance framework for cities. Mumbai has problem of high tides. When there are high tides and rain water comes into it, it results in problem of back flow. A simple solution suggested so many times is that there should be gates which take water back to the sea. Only two places have such gates and 100 places don’t have it to prevent the back flow. By saying that such infrastructure is expensive shows the inability to truly analyse the cost-benefit ratio when high damage is done to infrastructure and lives post the flood. Along with drainage, the rivers are not kept clean. People should be taught not to put garbage in rivers, plastics shouldn’t be thrown in rivers. Strong actions should be taken against those who do it. Other countries don’t see this problem of plastics being put in the drainage system and choking it. So there is a need to take action before the flood occurs. There is little participation by the communities. Only state and central government cannot deal with such a big problem. If communities are involved, given the task, responsibilities and resources including finance beforehand, then there will be prompt action. There is a need for a water centric approach which has been missing completely. To develop cities, water is not taken into account as a factor for development. There are courses in architecture, special universities about urban planning but drainage channel is not taken into consideration while building infrastructure. So until unless urban development becomes water centric, this problem is bound to come. There is no linkage between the forecast of rain and forecast of flood. There is no system of flood forecasting or flood warning for cities. The elaborate system of flood forecasting in central water commission is for rivers. What is require is the model of linking flooding with rainfall. This model is developed internationally in academic institutions but not in India. Conclusion Now drainage is a problem faced for few days of heavy rainfall in a city. Once it is over, it will be forgotten till next year. So there is no botheration about learning lessons. What is true for cities across the world is not true for India. India has a complex habitation pattern. In Delhi, 3/4th of habitation is called unauthorized colonies and are haphazard development. Hence, much of pre-disaster management work has to be done which includes urban planning. Rains in the city are not in control of single agency. The cities handle last part of drains, i.e. tertiary drains. Before it there is state highway and national highway within the city and because the roads and drains are intertwined, the drains are not independent of the roads. So when national highways are made, there is least botheration about the drainage system. So there is a need to revisit the planning on one hand and governance as far as cities are concerned. Connecting the dots: Urban infrastructure planning is one of the core development planning that needs to be undertaken. Examine.
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 13th Sep 2017 Archives INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2 India and its neighborhood- 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. Checking China's inroads in South Asia Background: China’s inroads into South Asia since the mid-2000s have eroded India’s traditional primacy in the region, from Afghanistan to Myanmar and also in the Indian Ocean. As Beijing deploys its formidable financial resources and develops its strategic clout across the subcontinent, New Delhi faces capacity challenges to stem Chinese offensive in its own strategic backyard. India's policy: Prime Minister Modi’s new ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, unveiled in 2014, has consequently focused on reaching out to other states to develop partnerships across the region. This balancing strategy marks a departure from India’s unsustainable efforts to insulate South Asia as its exclusive sphere of influence and deny space to any extra-regional actors. Officially, these unprecedented outreach efforts are implicitly referred to as a partnership with “like-minded” countries. According to Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, in its quest for more “people-centric” connectivity projects and a “cooperative regional architecture,” India is “working closely with a number of other international players whose approach is similar.” Examples of this new strategy: With the US, India now conducts close consultations on smaller states such as Nepal, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka. In 2015, following Japan’s permanent inclusion into the Malabar naval exercises, Tokyo and New Delhi developed a joint “Vision 2025” plan promising to “seek synergy... by closely coordinating, bilaterally and with other partners, for better regional integration and improved connectivity,” especially in the Bay of Bengal region. The Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, announced in 2016, further highlights India’s willingness to work with Japan to develop alternatives to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In 2014, India and Russia signed an unprecedented agreement to cooperate on developing nuclear power in third countries, with a focus on Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Year 2015 saw the first Australia-India Maritime Exercise (AUSINDEX) off India’s Eastern coast. With the UK, India signed a statement of intent on “partnership for cooperation in third countries” with a focus on development assistance in South Asia, and held its first formal dialogue on regional affairs in 2016. With Brussels, Paris, and Berlin, New Delhi has engaged in dialogues about maritime security and the Indian Ocean region, and shared intelligence to bolster regional counter-terrorism efforts. Contrasting with its past reluctance to involve multilateral organisations, India has enthusiastically endorsed the Asian Development Bank’s South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) operational programme for 2016-25, focused on improving connectivity between the subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Expanding partnerships: While many of these partnerships are still nascent, there are measures that will allow their expansion across three sequential levels. Increase mutual consultation: New Delhi and extra-regional powers must invest in creating institutional mechanisms dedicated to sharing assessments on South Asia. Under existing consultations, Afghanistan, Pakistan, or broader Asian strategic issues frequently overshadow Nepal or Sri Lanka. Specific bilateral dialogues on three specific regional vectors is required: Political and strategic issues, with a focus on China, counter-terrorism, and maritime security. Economic issues, with a focus on connectivity, trade, and investment initiatives. Developmental issues, with a focus on aid projects and other economic assistance initiatives. To increase the prospects for coordination, India and partners can identify bilateral areas for policy coordination across South Asia, agreeing to a division of labour that maximises each side’s advantage. In Bangladesh, for example, India has focused on political and capacity-building objectives, while Japan is concentrating its financial might in infrastructure projects. In order to contain China and advance concrete cooperation across South Asia, India and its extra-regional partners should aspire to integrate efforts and implement joint projects. This will require expanding bilateral dialogues to include third countries, on the model of the India-US-Afghanistan trilateral. Such partnerships could focus on a variety of specific sectors to strengthen third countries in the region, including joint disbursement, implementation and monitoring of development assistance; establishment of dedicated funds to facilitate infrastructure development or acquisition of military equipment; capacity-building training for administrative and security personnel; democracy assistance to strengthen good governance and the rule of law; and joint military exercises, focusing on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Challenges ahead: While India and its extra-regional partners develop efforts to consult, coordinate, and cooperate across South Asia, they will also have to prepare for a variety of challenges. Extra-regional partners will have to continue to recognise India’s predominant role in the region and defer to its security concerns, whether real or imagined. For example, by allowing India to “take the lead” and consolidate its role as a “first responder” to regional crises in recent years (such as the Nepal earthquake), the US has earned much goodwill in New Delhi. As the region’s small states play an increasingly sophisticated balancing game, seeking to play off India and its partners against China, closer consultation and coordination will be key. When it comes to the normative dimension of democracy and human rights, New Delhi and its like-minded friends will also face occasional tensions given their different priorities. For India, the focus is naturally on the short-term, with economic and security interests incentivising the pragmatic engagement of any regime type in its neighbourhood. While the West’s liberal interventionist impulse has receded, the US and European partners will, however, continue to privilege a value-based and long-term approach that emphasises pressure on authoritarian regimes. This last challenge is currently playing out in Myanmar, with clashing Indian and Western positions on the importance of the Rohingya refugee issue. Under rising international pressure, Naypyidaw is tilting back to China for support, further complicating India’s connectivity plans across the Bay of Bengal. Similar balancing dynamics can be observed in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Maldives, which further highlight how critical India’s global outreach efforts are to its quest to remain influential in its own region. Conclusion: China is making inroads into Asia at a much faster pace. India needs to act on time. While the present government's foreign policy is aligned with the need of the situation there is much more to be done. Above mentioned ways of expanding partnerships must thus be exploited. Connecting the dots: China’s inroads into South Asia since the mid-2000s have eroded India’s traditional primacy in the region, from Afghanistan to Myanmar and also in the Indian Ocean. Discuss. Also elaborate on challenges India faces in managing the region and what new strategies must be adopted to position India in South Asia. INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2 India and its neighborhood- 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. Rohingya Issue- India caught in a difficult spot Background: The response by Myanmar against Rohingya Muslims in the nation to the 25 August terrorist attacks seems, by all accounts, excessive. In the past, India continued to engage neighbouring regimes and tried to influence their behaviour through quiet diplomacy rather than following the West’s knee-jerk approach of public lecturing on alleged human rights violations. Why India did not criticize the conduct of Myanmar? Myanmar helps India tackle insurgency threats in the latter’s northeastern states. Myanmar is key to the success of India’s Act East policy. A public condemnation of Myanmar will only push it closer to China. Myanmar is anyway dependent on Beijing’s veto in the UN Security Council should the Rohingyas issue reach there. India is also aware of the possible role of Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba in the 25 August terrorist attacks by ARSA. There have been some reports suggesting that both India and Bangladesh had apprised Myanmar of possible terror strikes coinciding with the release of the Kofi Annan-led Rakhine Advisory Commission report on fostering a reconciliation between Rohingyas and other ethnic groups in the western state of Myanmar. Modification in stand- Why? India has now decided to modify its stand and acknowledge the concerns related to the outflow of refugees. Burdened by the swarm of refugees Bangladesh finally decided to let its displeasure be known. And thus, India had to modify its stand because of following reasons: Like Myanmar, Bangladesh too is important to India’s counter-insurgency efforts and Act East policy. The massive rush of refugees has triggered a domestic backlash by the opposition against the Sheikh Hasina government, which is perceived to lean towards India. An unhelpful Indian attitude would only deplete Hasina’s position in Bangladesh and strengthen her rival Khaleda Zia, who is known for taking anti-India stands. There has been a history of Hasina’s rivals—Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami—working with Pakistan’s rogue and anti-India intelligence agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). India- Caught in a difficult spot: India is trying to balance the contradictory interests of Myanmar and Bangladesh. A number of Rohingyas will also land up in Indian territory. Thus, fears radicalization of this group ensues. They may alter Indian demography. India has to do a tightrope walk. On the one hand, it has to keep Myanmar engaged in counter-terrorism while simultaneously working to contain the flow of refugees and then creating the ground conditions for repatriation of refugees already in Bangladesh and India. On the other, it has to keep Bangladesh reassured through the process and do so by making public statements. A perception of India’s unhelpful attitude should not become a reason for Zia upstaging Hasina in the 2018 elections. Solution: The solution to the problem lies in Myanmar itself. While India cannot let its guard down when it comes to counter-terrorism cooperation with Myanmar, this has to be done by simultaneously staunching the outflow of refugees. The report by the Annan-led commission, which argues for a citizenship verification process—the Rohingyas have been stripped of citizenship under Myanmar’s 1982 citizenship law—to increase the social and economic participation of the Rohingyas, may offer some useful suggestions. Bangladesh and India can indeed give shelter to some refugees, but there are clear constraints that both the countries face in the form of the resulting burden on their economies, alteration in the demography and potential impact on national security. Further any decision on the matter must be taken keeping in mind following aspects. Legal aspect: The Indian government, like any other in the world, is bound by customary international law to respect the principle of non-refoulement. No government, as per this law, can forcibly push back asylum-seekers to the country they have fled to escape violence, as it might endanger their very survival. Not being a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol is no excuse to abdicate India’s responsibility to provide much-needed succour to people under duress and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Whether or not India chooses to ratify the 1951 convention, there are several Supreme Court verdicts which disallow the Indian government from arbitrarily and summarily deporting refugees from its territory. The courts in India have traditionally upheld the rights of refugees facing deportation or forced eviction in different contexts by taking recourse to what is called the “canon of construction” or a “shadow of refugee law”. For example, the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution has been so interpreted by the SC that it can be extended to anyone living in India irrespective of her nationality. Moral aspect: On a moral plane, the Indian government can hardly hope to defend its stand given the fact that the Rohingya face an imminent threat to their lives in the wake of the ongoing “ethnic-cleansing” drives in the Rakhine State, Myanmar. The flight of nearly 3,00,000 Rohingya to neighbouring Bangladesh is a testimony to the wretchedness of their condition. Various reports — by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch etc — point to the Rohingya undergoing gross human rights violations at the hands of Myanmar’s armed forces in the name of counter-insurgency operations. These suggest a genocide. The preference for silence by Asia’s most experienced democracy in the wake of a fast deteriorating humanitarian crisis does not bode well for the future of human rights in the region. It might only embolden the Myanmarese security forces to further intensify the crackdown on the hapless Rohingya. Conclusion: It is time India rises to the occasion by transcending the politics of pragmatism and embraces the Rohingya refugees. Connecting the dots: Discuss the challenges being faced by India in the wake of refugee crisis from Myanmar. Indian needs to take a stand keeping the legal and more than that moral aspects in mind. Critically analyze. India is in a challenging situation when it comes to handling Rohingya refugees. On one hand welcoming them would raise questions in Myanmar and would be a threat for the country in multiple ways, on the other not accepting them would result into international backlash. What should be the way out? Discuss. Also read: Protecting the Rohingyas in India MUST READ Time for course correction The Hindu An alliance on track The Hindu Shattered dreams The Hindu Pakistan should see the blowback from supporting terror The Hindu Agenda for raksha mantri Indian Express Articles of faith Indian Express Towards a new financial resolution regime Livemint Mumbai to Ahemdabad in bullet train Business Line
UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 41] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about Crested Black Macaque It is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ by the IUCN It is native Indian Subcontinent It is a frugivorous Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Consider the following statements The Sundarbans mangrove forest lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal Sundarbans National Park is a UNESCO world heritage site Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Nathu La It connects the Indian state of Sikkim to Tibet Autonomous Region in China It has been closed for trade since Indo-China 1962 conflict Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Article 27 of Constitution of India deals with Freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion Freedom to manage religious affairs Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions Q.5) Catalonia is one of the richest and most highly industrialised regions of Italy Spain Switzerland Germany To Download the Solution - Click here All The Best IASbaba
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 12th Sep 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc High Speed Rail: A visionary project In news: Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe will be laying the foundation stone of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, popularly known as the bullet train, on September 14 in Ahmedabad. Background: Since they were commissioned more than five decades ago, bullet trains have been the symbol of Japan’s engineering prowess. This ambitious project demonstrated Japan’s significant engineering skill and expertise, and its success transformed the way Japan was viewed by the rest of the world. Similarly, China has focussed on the development of its high-speed rail network as a symbol of its engineering capabilities. This project could be one of the catalysts in transforming India. India has already experienced success in major projects in the past, which includes building the Golden Quadrilateral and upgrading its national highways, which has added to GDP, created efficiencies in transportation, provided jobs and improved rural development through enhanced connectivity. Apprehension: Some have raised the question whether the MAHSR is an effective use of resources. However, resourcing is only one of the issues being faced by the Railways. We heard a similar debate about the Indian space programme, which has seen some remarkable achievements. Possible benefits of HSR project: Boost to Make in India: The project will provide stimulus for advanced components’ manufacture and construction. One of the stated objectives of the project is “Make in India”. As per the agreement between the two governments, the MAHSR Project has “localised manufacture” and “transfer of technology” as twin, complementary objectives. Under the guidance of the task force comprising of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), action is being initiated as per the agreed guidelines. It is instructive to recall how an investment by Suzuki in the automobile industry spawned a new generation of Indian auto-component manufacturers from the early ’80s. Economic growth: Investment in infrastructure development has always acted as a catalyst in the economic growth of India. This project could provide an important boost to public investment. The soft funding of the project by the Japanese government is an additional advantage, which brings the two countries together and provides significant economic benefits. India is getting the loan for the MAHSR at close to almost zero cost. This saves any strain on existing financial resources, as more than 80 per cent of the project cost is being funded by the government of Japan in this way. It is for the first time that an infrastructure project of this size and magnitude is being funded on such favourable terms. In addition to creating demand for local industry, the project would also generate significant employment. The construction sector in India is also expected to get a big boost not only in terms of works contracts but also with respect to new technology and work culture. This project is likely to generate employment for about 20,000 workers, who will then be equipped to take up construction of more such projects in India. The new areas where construction skills would be developed are ballast-less track, under sea tunneling et al. Reduction in carbon footprint: The HSR system is more energy- and fuel-efficient. Studies show that HSR systems are around three times more fuel-efficient than aeroplanes and five times more fuel-efficient than cars. Given the traffic density in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, this project could lead to a significant reduction in India’s carbon footprint. Ushering in technology: A large part of this project will be focussed on bringing new technology to Indian companies. India is getting cutting-edge operational technology in totality. The Shinkansen technology is renowned for its reliability and safety. The train delay record of Shinkansen is less than a minute with zero fatalities. Thus, the project is set to provide reliable and comfortable service with high standards of safety. The technology regarding disaster predictions and preventions will also be acquired as part of the project. Indian companies will in this way imbibe the new technologies and potentially also become suppliers to HSR contracts worldwide Professional capacity building: A dedicated High Speed Rail Training Institute is being developed at Vadodara. This institute will be fully equipped with equipment and facilities, such as a simulator, as exist in the training institute at Japan. This institute will be functional by the end of 2020, and have facilities to train about 4,000 staff in the next three years, who will then be utilised for operation and maintenance. They will also serve as a backbone for the development of other high speed corridors in India. In addition, 300 young officials of the Indian Railways are being trained in Japan to give them exposure in high speed track technology. As these young professionals absorb the latest technologies, they will then be able to manage other high speed corridors which are under consideration. Speed: The “rapid train” would complete the journey in 2 hours and 7 minutes, while the slower service would take 2 hours and 58 minutes. Thirty-five daily services will be operated on the line, with three services per hour during peak times and two services per hour during off-peak times. Cultural transformation: Through a demonstrated ability to implement large projects and improve safety. Way ahead: The success of this project, however, will lie in its execution. Its successful and timely completion could act as a powerful catalyst to create a culture of efficient project implementation in India. Similarly, there should be a focus on leveraging the post-implementation synergies, which could make this a transformational project for India. Conclusion: Successful and timely completion of the bullet train project will be a game changer. This visionary project will herald a new era of safety, speed and service and help the Indian Railways craft a pathway to becoming a global leader in scale, technology and skill. We should be careful not to confuse leapfrogging technology development with elitism — whether it is mobile phones, satellite launches, regional air-connectivity or high-speed rail. Connecting the dots: Successful and timely completion of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project will be a game changer. It will herald a new era of safety, speed and service and help the Indian Railways craft a pathway to becoming a global leader in scale, technology and skill. Elaborate. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TOPIC: General Studies 3 Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Artificial Intelligence can be transformative: But only with right public policy Background: Automation, a product of recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), has been recognised as a harbinger of a different era of socio-economic relations. Studies by Deloitte in UK and McKinsey in the US are estimating that currently demonstrated technologies will kill from a third to a half of all jobs within a decade. In this scenario, what should be India’s national policy towards AI? Indian labour will face a deep crisis in the wake of AI: Over 90 per cent of the Indian workforce is organised informally and is vulnerable to sweeping economic upheavals. As AI proliferates, the contractual/gig economy will expand, amplifying precarity and triggering a downward spiral in wages. Construction and manufacturing labour, already atomised and benighted by the contractual system, will not be able to collectively bargain against an industry when it starts adopting 3-D printing technology. Farm labour, already in peril due to pricing, will suffer due to the glut of imported cheap food produced by automated farming and the agricultural robotics industry being conceived in East Asia. Vehicle assembly line production is already being replaced by robots. In IT, hiring has decreased by more than 40 per cent in the last year with sharper cuts predicted. Large parts of the IT sector are dependent on outsourcing and those jobs are at risk. Job creation figures in the non-farm formal sectors have fallen by half from 2011 to 2016. How AI can be transformative? Transforming agriculture: Automation presents an interesting opportunity as a means to transform agriculture. It is easier to allot land to a smaller farming population (only 10 per cent farmers in India own land), and teach them how to use automated machines to get higher, more consistent yields in conjunction with other improved farming practises. But freeing of agricultural labour should be done only after launching a national industrial and infrastructure-centric public works programme, augmented with automated machinery and processes, for the benefit of rural communities, which will absorb the freed agriculture labour. Improving productivity: Technologies like 3-D printing, earlier mentioned as a peril for construction workers, could become a catalyst for getting the sort of productivity needed for such ambitious projects. Transforming distribution and management: AI would open doors to consider alternate ownership models. Machine learning processes can be used for enhancing logistics and operations. Better distribution and management will help in following ways: It allows worker run co-operatives to become efficient enough to compete against traditional corporate structures, allowing the government to incentivise such formations, in turn increasing worker prosperity. AI-based cooperatives can be the bedrock of a more just economy. It necessitates creating governmental agencies to use AI, under public oversight, to run PSUs better. Structures of governance could be strengthened and improved: Statistical analysis can be used to detect malpractices, fraud, and corruption. Already, AI is being used to combat propaganda and spurious news. Computational linguistics can be used to preserve the vast cultural heritage of our marginalised peoples, and AI could be a boon for understaffed but vital agencies. Way ahead: The impoverished conditions of India present an opportunity for the government to consider public works (works needed to raise living standards) distinct from jobs (work which the market will provide) as a means to ensure employment. The government must invest heavily in large infrastructure and development projects, and liberally use automation to free up sections of the workforce to work on them. Simultaneously, the government must encourage horizontal cooperatives based around AI to ensure knowledge-worker controlled decentralised progress in AI on the ground. Conclusion: AI like every other productive force in the past, is a tool. It will affect social relations depending on who wields it and how. An enlightened education policy that recognises the paramountcy of quality education in an age of automation is called for. In a future economy dominated by AI, education must be free, universal, and of high quality. AI, in the hands of a visionary Indian government, instead of being an implacable foe of labour, can become its stalwart defender. It can unite the goals of development and public prosperity. Connecting the dots: AI, in the hands of a visionary Indian government, instead of being an implacable foe of labour, can become its stalwart defender. It can unite the goals of development and public prosperity. Discuss. Automation driven by AI is a major threat to Indian labour workforce as it is majorly unorganized. Discuss how to tackle this challenge. MUST READ Reappraising the raj The Hindu The resilience of our liberalism The Hindu State on the other side The Hindu The track to success The Hindu The picture after Doklam Indian Express Minister's promise Indian Express Talking with Tehran Indian Express Inflection point in Kabul Indian Express Addressing India's economic inequality Livemint A BIT- dispute management strategy Livemint The real world riddled with holes Business Line
Friends, Here we are with the AUGUST 2017, edition of Yojana and Kurukshetra. Yojana/Kurukshetra: AUGUST 2017- Download
IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Aadhar - Captured Data 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) Go through - http://iasbaba.com/2017/08/iasbabas-mindmap-issue-right-privacy/
UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 40] Archives Q.1) Which of the following are examples of Endorheic basin? Aral Sea Caspian Sea Pangong Tso Lake Urmia Select the correct code: 1, 2 and 3 2, 3 and 4 1, 2 and 3 All of the above Q.2) ‘AngioChip’ which was in news recently is related to Increasing shelf life of fruits exported to western countries Predictive Maintenance for Metal Casting Furnace IoT Solutions for Manufacturing Sector in India None of the above Q.3) Consider the following statements about 'Versius' It is the world's smallest surgical robot It mimics the human arm Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) was established to promote, coordinate and support South-South and triangular cooperation globally and within the United Nations system. Triangular cooperation is collaboration in which traditional donor countries and multilateral organizations facilitate South-South initiatives through the provision of funding, training, management and technological systems as well as other forms of support. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Abyei is located in Somalia Along Sudan and South Sudan border Syria Rakhine State of Myanmar To Download the Solution - Click here All The Best IASbaba
