Nov 1, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 73]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 73] Archives Q.1) When CRR is increased by Reserve Bank of India, it will result into Centre will have less money to lend Commercial banks will have more money to lend Reserve Bank of India will have less money to lend Commercial banks will have less money to lend Q.2) Consider the following statements about Taiga Biome It is also known as Boreal forest In taiga, the vegetation is composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges and grasses, mosses, and lichens Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Green Climate Fund (GCF) It is a fund established within the framework of the UNFCCC to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change. It was established during the Cancun Summit Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) What principle/law explains working of the hydraulic brakes in automobiles? Law of conservation of momentum Law of conservation of energy Pascal’s law Bernoulli’s principle Q.5) Consider the following statements about Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) The UN Charter established ECOSOC in 1945 as one of the six main organs of the United Nations. The Council has 54 member states, which are elected by the United Nations General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution – Click here All The Best  IASbaba

Oct 31, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 31st Oct, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 31st Oct 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 1: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present significant events, personalities, issues The Freedom Struggle - its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country. Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country. Remembering Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's contribution Introduction: Vallabhbhai Patel (1875-1950), was the keel that the boat of the freedom struggle needed so as never to tip over, the ballast that the ship of state required to stay steady, move safe. No country can ignore its heroes, the ones who shaped its destiny. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was one such iconic personality who shaped India’s destiny in a far-reaching manner. Preventing balkanisation of the country: After India attained Independence, Patel fashioned the country’s political integration with the swiftness of a military commander and the deftness of a visionary leader. Present-day India owes immeasurable debt to the vision, tact, diplomacy and pragmatic approach of the Sardar in preventing the Balkanisation of the country. He was instrumental in the merger of more than 560 princely states with the Union of India after the country’s partition. What makes this achievement very remarkable is that it was achieved without any bloodshed. Strategy adopted: Adopting different approaches, as warranted by the situation, Patel gave friendly advice in some cases, persuaded the rulers to see reason in others and even used force as in the case of Hyderabad. It is remarkable that he fashioned a unified country at a time when the rulers of the princely states were given the option of joining either India or Pakistan or remaining independent. The Nizam of Hyderabad nurtured ambitions of remaining independent of India and issued a firman to that effect. At the same time, he let loose razakars and even toyed with the idea of merging Hyderabad with Pakistan, although there was no geographical continuity between the two. Travancore also declared that it would remain independent and the Nawab of Junagarh announced accession to Pakistan. Sardar Patel secured the accession of Junagarh in a swift action code-named “Operation Polo”. Hyderabad was integrated with the rest of India in just four days. In a masterful display of statesmanship, Patel ensured the smooth integration of the troubled domains by not allowing the situation to deteriorate into civil unrest. There was neither bloodshed nor rebellion as he went about the task of building a strong India with a missionary zeal. He said, “the safety and preservation of these states as well as of India demand unity and mutual cooperation between its different parts. By common endeavour we can raise the country to a new greatness while lack of unity will expose us to fresh calamities”. Patel was the greatest unifier of India. There is, perhaps, no parallel in modern history to this achievement. Acknowledging the monumental contribution of Patel in nation building, Jawaharlal Nehru said, “History will call him the builder and consolidator of new India.” Creator of All India Patel Administrative Service: Patel was also instrumental in the creation of the All India Administrative Services which he described as the country’s “Steel Frame”. In his address to the probationers of these services, he asked them to be guided by the spirit of service in day-to-day administration. He reminded them that the ICS was neither Indian, nor civil, nor imbued with any spirit of service. His exhortation to the probationers to maintain utmost impartiality and incorruptibility of administration is as relevant today as it was then. “A civil servant cannot afford to, and must not, take part in politics. Nor must he involve himself in communal wrangles. To depart from the path of rectitude in either of these respects is to debase public service and to lower its dignity,” he had cautioned them on April 21, 1947. Leadership skills: His biggest asset was his down-to-earth disposition. He exemplified what the Father of the Nation had said about leadership: “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles. But today it means getting along with people”. He was chosen by Gandhi to lead the Kheda campaign. “Many were prepared to follow me, but I could not make up my mind as to who should be my deputy commander. Then I thought of Vallabhbhai,” Gandhi said. The trust that Gandhiji reposed in Patel was not misplaced. Gandhiji’s trusted lieutenant not only became an organiser par excellence but also a people’s leader. He earned the title of “Sardar” after spearheading a no-tax campaign by peasants at Bardoli in Gujarat. He also led the relief and rehabilitation operations when Gujarat was ravaged by floods and worked tirelessly during a plague outbreak in Ahmedabad. Relevance today: The remarks Patel made during the Quit India Movement are also relevant today. He said: “We have to shed mutual bickering, shed the difference of being high or low and develop the sense of equality and banish untouchability. We have to live like the children of the same father”. It is unfortunate that there has been no proper recognition of Patel’s monumental contribution in unifying the country at its most critical juncture in history. Conclusion: The invaluable contribution of Sardar Patel in building a modern and unified India needs to be remembered by every Indian as the country marches ahead as one of the largest economies in the world. Connecting the dots: Discuss the contribution of Sardar Patel from unification of the country to creation of all India services. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3: Infrastructure: Energy Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Saubhagya scheme: Critical analysis Introduction: The government recently announced 100% household electrification scheme, Saubhagya. It aims to tackle the next link for electrification, where until now most efforts focused at the village or hamlet level. The objective of the Saubhagya scheme is to “provide energy access to all by last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining un-electrified households in rural as well as urban areas to achieve universal household electrification in the country.” The Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (‘Saubhagya’) launched recently claims to ensure electrification of all willing households in the country. It promises to provide a free electricity connection to all willing Below Poverty Line households and to all others on a payment of ₹500 (which shall be recovered by the power distribution companies/power departments in 10 instalments along with electricity bills). Definition and the gap: The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), launched in July 2015, aimed to electrify all un-electrified villages by May 2018. Under DDUGJY, the government managed to electrify 14,701 villages while 2,760 villages remain un-electrified; out of these, work is still in progress in a total of 2,611 villages. However, out of the 14,701 villages, only in 8%, i.e. 1,198 villages, do all households have connectivity. Even if we take into consideration the fact that so many villages have been “electrified”, the next point of contention is the definition used. According to the definition, a village is considered to be electrified if 10% households have an electricity connection and related basic infrastructure. Furthermore, even in these 10% of households, there is no promise of minimum hours of supply. Given that 90% of households may not have power supply and of those 10% with electricity not having a regular supply, we can't consider such a village to be electrified in a meaningful way. Benefits of Saubhagya scheme: Costs for wiring unconnected homes varies based on how far the user is from the grid, and, unfortunately, the last to be connected are likely to be the farthest away and most sparsely populated. Saubhagya averages at only about Rs4,000/home, inclusive of a metre and limited in-home wiring. The scheme can help plug the gaps and address the issues of entry barrier, last mile connectivity and release of connections. A free electricity connection may provide some relief as far as the financial burden is concerned. Issues: It expects the poor to pay the bills without providing any subsidy to ease their burden. Even to the best of their abilities the poor would often not be in a position to pay regular electricity bills, which in turn could result in disconnection. It can guarantee neither regular electricity supply nor continuation of those connections in case of non-payment. However, expecting poor households to bear the recurring burden of bills as per the prevailing tariff of DISCOMs is unimaginable. Even if all households are provided a connection, there would still be the problem of regular supply. Industry estimates suggest that this scheme would potentially require an additional 28,000 MW and additional energy of about 80,000 million units per annum, which is roughly 7% of India’s current installed power capacity. The problem is graver still in interior rural India. Considering the huge lapses as far as electricity availability is concerned, managing this additional demand would prove to be challenging. Such models of service provision, even for a public good, risk inefficient consumption. It also limits the provider’s ability or appetite to scale and sustain. Way ahead: Adding a wire to the home, as the scheme proposes, is only part of the issue being addressed. What one really needs is quality service (ideally 24x7) for meaningful electrification. This means we have to either strengthen or change the distribution companies (discoms) to ensure we meet this part of the social contract of electricity. The first need is to execute the physical wire to the homes. Hopefully there are enough skilled contractors to handle the enormity of the task—India’s 40 million unconnected homes is roughly triple the next two countries’, Nigeria and Ethiopia. Insufficient capital outlay can be supplemented by state budgetary support or special Central grants. Thinking holistically, there is money available. Instead of subsidizing (oil company’s under-recovery for) kerosene, the same money could progressively be re-allocated for rural electrification—a greater amount annually than the Saubhagya budget. Under Saubhagya, microgrids are perhaps the biggest theoretical loser, but better coordination can reduce such conflicts. They can be complementary instead of competitive, especially for remote locations. This requires serious discussions on microgrid designs. Discoms have historically been wary of adding “expensive” and non-remunerative consumers. Their worries needs to be addressed. Retail tariffs for residential users should be updated to meet the marginal costs of supply, to cover the incremental (mainly fuel) costs of generation procured by discoms. Conclusion: The policy statement echoes the commitment to facilitate economic growth and social development, but it only addresses the issue partly. There are many more reforms which must be brought in. Connecting the dots: What is the objective of Saubhaya scheme. Discuss it needs. Despite being ambitious, it solves the electricity problem of the country only partly. Critically analyze. MUST READ New equations in Indo-Pacific Indian Express The liberty to love Indian Express Extend and pretend Indian Express Entrepreneurship needs stable rules Livemint Disrupting climate change Livemint Towards an inclusive dialogue Business Line  

Oct 31, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 72]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 72] Archives Q.1) Which of the following provided for a common currency for the member countries of European Community? Marrakesh Treaty Bonn Convention Basel convention Maastricht Treaty Q.2) Consider the following statements about Air Mass It is a large volume of air in the atmosphere that is uniform in temperature and humidity Air Masses are not formed over water Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) "EU 3 + 3" is associated with Brexit Catalan Referendum Greek Bailout None of the above Q.4) The total liability of the monetary authority of the country is called as Monetary base High powered money Both (a) and (b) Dead Currency Q.5) What is Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)? A non-government organization which specializes in international humanitarian aid and emergency medical assistance. An agency formed by the International Olympic Committee (lOC) to check misuse of drugs by sportspersons. An organization to develop applications of nano-technology in medicine. An organization of medical practitioners funded by the European Union which carries out research against spread of AIDS. To Download the Solution – Click here All The Best  IASbaba

Oct 31, 2017 RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : Indian, Pakistani & US Interests in Afghanistan

Indian, Pakistani & US Interests in Afghanistan Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 India and its neighbourhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests The US which is the most significant foreign player in Afghanistan has a policy which is about restraining Pakistan in Afghanistan. The key lies in how to make Pakistanis change their policies and behavior in Afghanistan. Unless that happens, there is hardly any proper solution to move towards peace in Afghanistan. The Pakistanis through their proxies in Afghanistan are sending unmistakable message to Americans that unless their interest as they perceive are catered for, they will not cooperate. It is interesting that their pre-condition is that India’s role must be constrained in Afghanistan. Economically India can play a role but not politically or militarily. This is strange as what role India will play should be decided by Afghanistan and India. Pakistan has this perception because earlier, Americans used to say they are fighting war against global terror with Pakistan. Now, with the Aghan policy, India has been included in this war against terror. Pakistan is mattered by Drone attacks by US if sovereignty interest of US is getting compromised. US can choke funding whenever they want. Pakistan has nurtured Taliban to re-emerge in Afghanistan. If Indian are around, they have a threat to perform such functions Security situation in Afghanistan They have 34 provinces and 360 districts, Taliban controls 10% of the district and 40% of rural areas and also south and east Afghanistan. Afghan National Security Forces are in control of major towns and cities and are able to reinforce their positions every time districts are being overtaken by Taliban.  This is an ongoing process. Neither the Afghan government, nor the Taliban are in the position to tactically or strategically alter the balance of military in significant manner. Thus the issue of peace is pushed behind. To complicate the situation, there is presence of ISIS in some parts of Afghanistan. So it is triangular battle- the Taliban are fighting ISIS and Afghan National Security Forces are fighting both. So the military situation is likely to remain volatile in future. ISIS is challenge which requires effort on part of everyone concerned with afghan situation. The foremost challenge is created by Taliban in Afghanistan. The composition of ISIS is Tehrik-e-Taliban of Pakistan and also Salafi elements from eastern Afghanistan. The Russians and the Chinese are worried about these threats due to getting closer to central Asian republics. US moving out? For lasting peace, the internal security situation of Afghanistan will have to improve. The outsider can hold for sometime by doing training. The technology, information systems, additional troops are going to help, but its more of message from US that it is not moving out of Afghanistan. The US is helping to upgrade the capability of Afghan Airforce as well as Afghan Special Forces. India’s role India should always act in Afghanistan as an independent power. The American intentions are good and shall be welcomed as long as there is coincidence of interest in Afghanistan. This new change in America is good for India as well as Afghanistan. India’s economic policy of engagement must continue. India-Afghan strategic partnership agreement, India should extend support to afghan in security field as much as possible unmindful of what anyone else thinks. This is a bilateral India-afghan relationship and that should be nurtured. However, by no means India shouldn’t send ground troops to Afghanistan. It should focus more on economic and infrastructural assistance. Though US prefer to have more direct input from India in the military endeavour in Afghanistan, India should limit its role of supplying older, Russian-origin military hardware for repair and replacement purposes. Currently, people and government of Afghanistan is positive of India because it helps Afghanistan in the areas it requires to develop such as education, health tourism and medical support. Conclusion Peace in Afghanistan is dependent upon security situation around Afghanistan. It also depends on American support and presence to close sanctuaries Under the financial action task force, they can squeeze the Pakistan’s international financial arrangement. Under this threat, Pakistanis took action against Hafeez Saeed recently. The current Afghan policy is a change of strategy was meant to be an “incentive for Pakistan to change” its course. If such a calculation is accepted it would mean that at some point down the road, the US, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India have to sit at a table. However, there is a long way ahead and critical steps being taken before such action is even thought of. Connecting the dots: Critically analyse India’s role in Afghanistan vis-à-vis presence of US and Pakistan.

Oct 30, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 30th Oct, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 30th Oct 2017 Archives NATIONAL  TOPIC : General studies 2: Structure, organization and functioning of the Judiciary Maintaining the prominence of High Courts Background: For the framers of our Constitution, high courts, occupied a central position. They were conceived as a forum for adjudicating disputes under the Constitution, Central and State statutes before they moved to the Supreme Court; their jurisdiction was more extensive than the Supreme Court’s. In contrast to the American model of a bifurcated federal and state judiciary, our high courts resolve all disputes. In the initial years, several constitutional issues came to the Supreme Court after high courts grappled with those issues. The First Amendment to the Constitution was triggered by a Patna High Court ruling declaring a land reform law as unconstitutional. Increasingly, the jurisdiction of our 24 High Courts has been subject to relentless attack from Parliament, and, unfortunately, even the Supreme Court. Rampant tribunalisation: Parliament has inflicted damage on high courts with rampant tribunalisation. Tribunals have replaced high courts for disputes under the Companies Act, Competition Act, SEBI Act, Electricity Act, Consumer Protection Act among others. Any person aggrieved by an order of an appellate tribunal can directly appeal to the Supreme Court, side-stepping the high court. This raises following institutional concerns: These tribunals do not enjoy the same constitutional protection as high courts. The appointment process and service conditions of high court judges are not under the control of the executive. The enormous institutional investment to protect the independence of high courts is dispensed with when it comes to tribunals. Many tribunals still owe allegiance to their parent ministries. Tribunals are also not as accessible as high courts. For example, there are just four benches of the Green Tribunal for the whole country. In comparison, high courts were easily accessible for environmental matters. A shareholder in Kerala or the Northeast would have to travel to the Securities Appellate Tribunal in Mumbai to challenge any order by the Securities and Exchange Board of India. This makes justice expensive and difficult to access. When retired high court judges invariably preside over every tribunal, the justification of expert adjudication by tribunals disappears. Conferring a direct right of appeal to the Supreme Court from tribunals has changed the Supreme Court from being a constitutional court to a mere appellate court. It has become a final clearing house for every appeal under every statute. The Supreme Court should be a court of last resort deciding cases of the moment, and not a final forum with an all-embracing jurisdiction over disputes ranging from a custody battle to the scope of a municipal by-law. The high courts are the training grounds for future Supreme Court judges. When high court judges deal with several cases under a particular area of law, they carry with them the benefit of their experience and insights to the Supreme Court. When high courts are side-stepped in favour of tribunals, Supreme Court judges hearing appeals from tribunals would have to deal with the finer nuances of disputes under specialised areas of law for the very first time. This is not ideal for a court of last resort. The rationale advanced for avoiding high courts is the colossal backlog. This is a problem of the government’s making as it consciously chooses not to appoint judges of the sanctioned strength for each high court. Way ahead: If high courts were to exercise appellate jurisdiction over orders of tribunals, they would act as filters, enabling the Supreme Court to confine itself to those substantial questions where there is divergence among high courts. The way ahead lies in the creation of specialised divisions in high courts for tax, company law and environmental disputes. Original jurisdiction: The jurisdiction of high courts is also undermined by the Supreme Court when it directly entertains various writ petitions. When the Supreme Court exercises original jurisdiction, it deprives the citizen and the state of the right to challenge potentially erroneous orders. A classic instance is the Supreme Court’s ruling in the 2G case. To overcome this ruling, the President had to invoke the advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The ordinary citizen enjoys no such privilege. Judicial legislation: The difficulty becomes even more acute when the Supreme Court takes on a legislative role by framing guidelines in the larger public interest. Neither the individual nor the state has an effective remedy to challenge these norms. Conclusion: There are several institutional benefits when a case travels from high court to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is wiser by a well-considered high court ruling. The Supreme Court is in a better position to resolve a dispute when it is confronted with two conflicting high court rulings on the same issue. In the triple talaq ruling, it benefited from prior high court decisions on the nuances of Muslim personal law. Notably, the U.S. Supreme Court takes up cases where there is a divergence of opinion among the Circuit Courts of Appeal. High courts need to remain in prominence if India’s justice delivery system needs to remain successful. Connecting the dots: Tribunalisation is affecting the prominence of high courts in Indian judicial system. Discuss the issues associated with it. ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Comprehensive banking policy reforms needed Introduction: The recapitalization of public sector banks has been rightly welcomed by most analysts. The government has decided to spend big money to clean up the banks it owns, despite the obvious risks of moral hazard that bank bailouts across the world have inevitably faced. Background: Three important policy documents laid the groundwork for banking reforms since the 1991 reforms: The report of the first Narasimham committee set up in 1991. the report of the second Narasimham committee set up in 1998. the report of the Raghuram Rajan committee that was released in 2009. Not all their ideas were implemented, but they did help in structural transformation of Indian banking. It is now time for a fourth comprehensive look at the issue, as a new set of challenges emerge. Progress over the years: Indian banks now have to meet international capital adequacy standards, a smaller portion of their deposits has to be handed over to fund the fiscal deficit, interest rates are determined by the market, branch expansion policies are more liberal and new private sector banks offer competition to the public sectors banks. Despite this undoubted progress away from the days of financial repression, this is the third banking mess (the NPA issue) India has had to deal with over the past three decades. Lesson from equity market: Policy reforms in the equity markets have ensured that there has been no systemic crisis even in moments of immense stress. Banking policy issues: Autonomy: The need for public sector bank autonomy has been recognized for long. Such autonomy is impossible given the political interests involved. India needs to now shift the needle from autonomy towards privatization. Banking is the only important sector of the economy in which the private sector is dwarfed by the public sector. The share of public sector companies has fallen sharply in most sectors such as airlines. Banking is an exception—and it is time this change. Three-tier banking structure: The first Narasimham committee had said that India should move towards a three-tier banking structure. Four large lenders were to be developed as global banks, 10 banks were to become nationwide universal banks and local banks would concentrate on specific regions. The underlying issue of banking structure is an important one. The ongoing debates about bank consolidation and differentiated licensing require a framework rather than the current ad hoc statements. Narrow banking: There is a strong case to convert at least some of the weak banks into narrow banks that use all their deposit money to buy government bonds. They could in effect become large payments banks rather than the more traditional financial intermediaries. Narrow banking is an idea that needs serious attention. Corporate bond market: India needs to move towards a financial structure in which large companies get mostly funded by the bond markets while smaller firms depend more heavily on banks for their finance. The problem is that the corporate bond market is still illiquid, with most bonds held to maturity by a narrow set of investors. Deepening the corporate bond market is critical. Caution: One of the grand lessons of the global financing crisis is that no country has figured out how to maintain financial stability. Credit booms have inevitably left bad loans in their wake. Bank-led financial systems such as Japan have been in trouble. And so have financial systems such as the US where the bond markets are more important. Conclusion: Unstable financial systems hurt economic growth and job creation in the long run. The fiscal costs of bailouts can also be staggering. The Indian policy makers needs to decide what financial structure is required if another banking crisis is to be avoided.. Connecting the dots: Discuss major policy issues faced by public sector reforms. Unless banking policy reforms are carried out we would continue to face banking crisis. Analyze. MUST READ The new great game The Hindu Sliding down the mountain The Hindu Workplaces that include Indian Express Dialogue as diversion Indian Express Need to address quality of services Livemint A missed opportunity Livemint  

Oct 30, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 71]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 71] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about ‘National Court Management Systems’ (NCMS) It is under overall control of the Chief Justice of India It primarily deals with policy issues The NCMS Committee is to be advised by an Advisory Committee consisting of two Judges of Supreme Court of India and such other Chief Justices/Judges of High Courts as may be nominated by the Chief Justice of India. Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) With reference to the ‘Gram Nyayalaya Act’, which of the following statements is/are correct? As per the Act, Gram Nyayalayas can hear only civil cases and not criminal cases. The Act allows local social activists as mediators/reconciliators. Select the correct code 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about ‘National Green Tribunal’ (NGT) It provides for compensation, relief and restoration of the ecology in accordance with the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle and powers to enforce the ‘precautionary principle’. India is the third country following Australia and New Zealand to have such a system. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) is a collaborative Mars Mission between Russian and European Space Agency JAXA and NASA NASA and ISRO None of the above Q.5) Āstika has been defined as those who accept the epistemic authority of the Vedas. Which of the following is a Āstika school of Indian philosophy? Buddhism Jainism Nyāyá None of the above To Download the Solution – Click here All The Best  IASbaba

Oct 30, 2017 PIB

IASbaba PIB Weekly : Press Information Bureau - 22nd Oct to 28th Oct, 2017

IASbaba Press Information Bureau 22nd to 28th October 2017 ARCHIVES GS-2 India’s First Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra for Skilling in Smart Cities (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources) Objective: To provide skill training for unemployed youth through its short-term training (STT) module and contribute to the capacity building of municipal employees through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program Affirming synergies with the Government of India’s flagship programs, the new skill development centres underscore the commitment of the Ministry of Urban Affairs & Housing (MUHA) and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to support skilling in smart cities. For a Skilled India: Document 1 Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3 + Solve: Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3 + Link 4 SAATHI (Sustainable and Accelerated Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to Help small Industries) (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Under this initiative, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a public sector entity under the administrative control of Ministry of Power, would procure energy efficient Powerlooms, motors and Rapier kits in bulk and provide them to the small and medium Powerloom units at no upfront cost. The use of efficient equipment would result in energy savings and cost savings to the unit owner and he would repay in installments to EESL over a 4 to 5 year period. This is the aggregation, bulk procurement and financing model that EESL has successfully deployed in several sectors like LED bulbs, Smart Meters and Electric Vehicles. The unit owner neither has to allocate any upfront capital cost to procure these equipment nor does it have to allocate additional expenditure for repayment as the repayments to EESL are made from the savings that accrue as a result of higher efficiency equipment’s and cost savings. The aggregation of demand and bulk procurement will also lead to reduction in capital cost, benefits of which will be passed on to the Powerloom units so that their repayment amount and period would reduce. Powerloom sector in India – It is predominantly an unorganized sector and has a large number of micro and small units which produce 57 percent of the total cloth in the country. There are 24.86 lakhs Powerloom units in this country, most of whom use obsolete technology. With a view to upgrading the technology, the Government of India has been implementing the INSITU upgradation of plain Powerlooms as part of Power Tex India under which plain Powerlooms are attached with process control equipment leading to higher productivity, better quality and more than 50 percent additional value realisation. So far 1.70 lakhs plain Powerlooms have been upgraded under the scheme, with a total Government of India subsidy of Rs. 186 crores. CVC to develop Integrity Index of 25 Organizations (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Integrity index: Development of the Integrity Index-based on bench-marking of internal processes and controls within an organisation as well as management of relationships and expectations of outside stakeholders The Integrity Index will bring out annual scores/rankings of Public Sector Undertakings/Public Sector Banks and Financial Institutions/Departments/Ministries of Government of India by linking the essential drivers of vigilance with long term efficiency, profitability and sustainability of public organizations and create an internal and external ecosystem that promotes working with Integrity in public organizations. Define what constitutes Integrity of Public Organizations Identify the different factors of Integrity and their inter-linkages Create an objective and reliable tool that can measure the performance of organizations along these above factors Validate the findings over a period of time to improve upon the robustness of the tool that measures Integrity Create an internal and external ecosystem that promotes working with Integrity where public organizations lead the way.   Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Sign $300 Million Loan to Promote Further Fiscal Reforms in West Bengal (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) Objective: To improve the quality of public service delivery The Second West Bengal Development Finance Program targets a further increase in public investment through reduction of unproductive expenditure, and savings from efficiencies in revenue collections. The Program will build on earlier intervention under Phase I of the project through the $400 million Program that targeted a comprehensive fiscal consolidation program in the state. The new Program will not only target public investment but would also support private investments more directly by creating an infrastructure facility to support project preparation, development, and appraisal, with emphasis on public-private partnerships in health and education. It also seeks to simplify the registration and licensing procedure for micro, small and medium enterprises. Spread over two years, the Program will also carry forward reforms such as linking medium term expenditure plans to actual budgets, supported by strengthening internal audit system, and enhancements in the integrated financial management system (IFMS). Other activities under the program include improved tax monitoring and continued support for information technology systems in strengthening tax and land administration. Capital outlay as a percentage of gross state domestic product is expected to rise to 2.2% by FY2022 under the second program, with improved budget allocations geared toward development expenditure. Accompanying the loan is a technical assistance grant of $500,000 to strengthen key institutions responsible for carrying out fiscal management reforms in the state.   Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) sign $65.5 Million Loan to support Coastal Protection in Karnataka (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $65.5 million loan agreement to continue interventions to check coastal erosion on the Western Coast in Karnataka. The loan is the Second Tranche of a $250 million financing facility under the Sustainable Coastal Protection and Management Investment Program. Objective: The financing will be used to address the immediate coastal protection needs and for strengthening institutional capacity of Karnataka’s Public Works, Ports and Inland Water Transport Department. The program has introduced innovative techniques for managing coastal erosion that will ultimately benefit local communities, and would also help address concerns pertaining to the climate change. The investment program has already demonstrated the benefit of adoption of softer options such as artificial reefs, beach nourishments, and dune management for coastal protection. The project will consist of eight coastal protection subprojects to address the issues of medium to severe coastal erosion resulting in protection of about 54 km of coastline in Karnataka. Issue: Karnataka’s coast supports the state’s major economic sectors, which include fisheries, agriculture, tourism, ports and other major transport and communication sectors. Coastal erosion in the state, where the project is focused, poses a high risk to human wellbeing, economic development, and ecological integrity through loss of land, infrastructure, and business opportunities. Under increasing threat from climate change impacts, coastal protection and management has evolved as a major challenge to development. Effective and sustainable management of the shoreline is thus vital to sustainable economic and social development of the coastal regions in the state. The Second Tranche Loan from ADB’s ordinary capital resources has a 20-year term. The State of Karnataka, acting through its Department of Public Works is responsible for implementation of overall program, which is due for completion by September 2020.   India and France to strengthen Bilateral Defence Cooperation as a key pillar of their strategic partnership (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) The Ministers reviewed ongoing initiatives to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and France. They also discussed regional and international developments of mutual interest. A range of measures to expand military to military ties, including enhancing the scope of their joint exercises, in particular the VARUNA naval exercise scheduled in early 2018, were agreed upon. Both countries will also actively explore additional measures to facilitate operational level interactions between their respective armed forces. The Ministers reiterated their strong intention to further expand bilateral cooperation on counter- terrorism. Recognising the growing significance of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and the need for greater maritime domain awareness, India and France will further expand information sharing arrangements building upon the Technical Arrangement on Exchange of White Shipping information signed earlier this year. The two Ministers also comprehensively reviewed developments in defence equipment and industry cooperation, where France is a major partner. They agreed to strongly support projects for defence manufacturing under the Make in India initiative as well as promote defence technology and R&D cooperation. GS-3 Power sector in India (Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.) Ministry is in the final stages of codifying laws on a number of fronts including State Governments/DISCOMs honouring of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and penalties for delinquencies All DISCOMs to have tied up PPAs to cover 100% power requirements including peak loads before licenses are renewed The Renewable Purchase Obligations to be made statutory Made Smart Meters mandatory and penalties to be imposed for non-payment of electricity bills, inter alia. Coastal Shipping to get a boost as Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Karwar Port get Grants-in-aid under Sagarmala Coastal Berth Scheme (Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.) The Ministry of Shipping has sanctioned Rs 25 Crore as Grants-in-aid to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and another Rs 50 Crore to the Government of Karnataka for Karwar Port, for developing their infrastructure, under the Coastal Berth Scheme of its flagship programme Sagarmala The Coastal Berth Scheme aims to provide financial support to ports or state governments for creation of infrastructure for movement of cargo and passenger by sea or national waterways. The admissible financial assistance from Central Government is 50% of the total cost of the project subject to: (i) A maximum of ₹ 25 crore for projects relating to construction/up-gradation of coastal berths by Major/Non-Major Ports, (ii) A maximum of ₹ 10 crore for construction of platforms/jetties for hovercrafts & seaplanes by Ports/State Governments & passenger jetties in National Waterways and islands by State Governments, (iii) A maximum of ₹ 15 crore for mechanization of berths by Major/Non-Major Ports (iv) A maximum of ₹ 50 crore for capital dredging of operational Non-Major Ports (v) A maximum of ₹ 50 crore for construction of breakwater for existing and Greenfield Ports. The balance expenditure has to be incurred by the respective ports/concerned State Government from their own resources. Karwar Port Situated between New Mangalore Port and Mormugao Port Acclaimed as one of the best natural all weather ports on the west coast and provides all weather berthing facilities for ocean going vessels The only port owned and administered by the State Government The expansion at both the ports will result in increased shipping activity, employment generation and overall improvement in the socio-economic condition in the hinterland. India & Macroeconomic Stability: Click here to go through the comprehensive presentation (Important) Note: Mandatory to use Public Finance Management System (PFMS) for all Central govt. schemes: Help in tracking and monitoring the flow of funds to the implementing agencies - would go a long way in monitoring and tracking of any unnecessary parking of funds by the implementing agencies and thereby minimizing the cases of delay and pending payments to a large extent. With the capability of providing real time information on resource availability, flows and actual utilization has tremendous potential to improve programme/financial management, reduce the float in the financial systems by enabling ‘just in time’ releases and also the Government borrowings with direct impact on interest costs to the Government. United Nations Day – 24th October Indian Badminton Player Kidambi Srikanth won at Denmark Open Super Series Premier 2017. Indian Hockey Team won the Asia Cup 2017. India’s Space Mission to Moon, “Chandrayaan-II”, will take place in 2018 INSV Tarini entered Fremantle (Australia) port during its maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has signed an institutional agreement with the Punjab State Council of Science and Technology to establish India’s first Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) at Patent Information Centre, Punjab, under the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) TISC program. Another TISC is being established at Anna University, Chennai. CORPAT (Coordinated Patrol): Demonstration of India’s commitment to its ties with Indonesia and to the maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region. The two navies have been carrying out Coordinated Patrols (CORPAT) on respective sides of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002. The aim of the CORPAT is to enhance mutual understanding and inter-operability between the navies, prosecute vessels involved in unlawful activities, conduct SAR and take measures against Sea Pollution. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an International Organisation involving a group of countries in the South Asia and South East Asia namely, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. While the number of physicians available is 20 per 10,000 people in developed countries, it is only six in India and the country needs 10.5 lakh doctors while we have only 6.5 lakh. The number of hospital beds per 10,000 is 40 in developed countries while it is nine in India. To reach WHO norm of one doctor per 1,000, (there is one doctor per 1700 population in India) a high-level committee of NITI Aayog has recommended the setting up of 187 more medical colleges by 2022. Conference on Consumer Protection for East, South and South-East Asian Countries with the theme of “Empowering Consumers in New Markets” – Consumer is considered as God in trade premises. ‘Grahak Devo Bhava’ is the dictum for consumer satisfaction. This is the first time an international conference on consumer protection is being organised by India for countries of the region which account for a majority of the global consumers and share common challenges and experiences. 22 countries from East, South and South-East Asia are participating in the international conference. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has taken several initiatives in the past few years to increase pension coverage in the country, notably introducing e-NPS, reducing minimum contribution levels, new investment instruments, aggressive life cycle funds etc. PFRDA has now taken a further step in this direction by increasing the incentives payable to Points of Presence (POPs), the principal distributive points for National Pension System (NPS).  

Oct 29, 2017 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Nature of Reality – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Nature of Reality: What is the nature of reality? What is the fundamental building block of life? What is the grand unifying theory that connects everything? This has been the quest of man for centuries. He has searched for answers in everything. He has searched in words through philosophy; he has searched in creativity through art, he has searched in enquiry through science, and he has searched in silence through meditation. More energy, time and money have been spent in this endeavor than all our other activities put together. All our scientific advancement, our cultural dynamism, even the wars we have fought is a direct consequence of trying to answer this all-important question; who are we and what is the nature of reality. In philosophy, Adi Sankara of ancient India came closest to answering this question through the philosophy of Advaita or non-duality. In science, Einstein came closest through his Mass to Energy conversion equation. In poetry, Tagore came closest through his collection of poems Gitanjali. In mysticism and silence Buddha came the closest. Every new generation of people has come up with ever newer and simpler ways of understanding and expressing the nature of reality. The quest is on and the whole world is participating in the process. Let us try another new way of expressing the nature of reality. As with all other theories, it will look silly when presented for the first time and its authenticity can be proven only by the test of time. R = CTT (Reality = Consciousness multiplied by time and thoughts) There are three entities that make up the world we live in; Thoughts provide us the content, time provides us the landscape and consciousness provides us the ability to perceive. Take away any one of these, our world simply falls apart. If there were only thoughts and no time to arrange them in some sequence, the world would not have existed. If there was only time and no thoughts, we would not have been able to grasp reality in words like the way we are doing now. If there were thoughts and time but no conscious being to perceive all this, then again our world would have been impossible. Every single moment our world is being shaped by these three entities. ‘There is someone thinking all the time’ this has to be the fundamental building block of life. This sentence just by itself completes the equation; 'someone' provides the consciousness; his thoughts make up the content and his time becomes the landscape where thoughts are arranged. We can play with this equation and arrange it in all possible combinations, it will always hold true. Yet, equations make us wonder if our world is so simple that an equation is always just a little too complicated to capture the simple truth of life. Everything seems like just another way of saying the same thing. Well, participating in this quest is more important than getting it right; I wanted only to participate! “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”

Oct 29, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 28th Oct, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 28th Oct 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation Solving the issue of burning crop residue Introduction: The issue of crop residue burning, mainly in Punjab, remains unsolved continuing the harm to environment and farmers' health. Paddy is grown on an average area of around 30 lakh hectares in Punjab. After harvest, around 19.7 million tonnes of paddy straw is left in the fields and has to be disposed of to make way for wheat. Of this, 70-75% of paddy straw is burnt in open fields to clear the land for sowing wheat or other crops — it is the quickest and cheapest way of getting rid of the residue. NGT directive: In 2015, the NGT was forced to stop the practice of stubble burning after thick smog enveloped the northern skies with the onset of autumn yet again, and acute respiratory problems were reported to be worsening in the national capital. The NGT banned the burning of paddy straw in four States — Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh — and Delhi. In its order, the tribunal fixed a penalty for burning paddy residue. The NGT also ordered State governments to take punitive action against persistent offenders. It also directed the four States and Delhi to make arrangements to provide machinery free of cost to farmers with less than two acres of land, Rs. 5,000 to farmers with medium-sized land holdings, and Rs. 15,000 to those with large land holdings for residue management. While the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has been imposing penalties on farmers who have been found defying the ban, the farmers hardly seem deterred. As the government attempts to enforce the ban in the face of defiance, farmers have turned to guards to ensure that their work goes on unhindered. Issues for farmers: Time and cost are both crucial. Farmers have to prepare land to sow wheat in less number of days. Both machine and labor are difficult to find, for clearing the paddy straw, and will be a time-consuming effort. To engage labour or machinery will cost somewhere between Rs. 4,000 and 5,000 per acre, which many farmers can’t afford. Farmers in Punjab, especially small and marginal farmers, are already facing severe economic distress. To ask them to remove crop residue mechanically or through environment-friendly measures will only add to their misery. The State government has failed to arrange for the equipment and machinery required for ploughing paddy straw into the fields. Burning crop residue in the field kills friendly pests and damages soil fertility. Besides disregard for the ban, with the support of several farmers’ unions, farmers have also cautioned the State government against taking stringent action against them. Several unions have made it clear that if police cases are registered against them, the government will have to face the consequences in the form of large-scale agitations. Way ahead: Unless financial assistance is provided by the Centre for boosting farm mechanisation, it is difficult to completely stop stubble burning. States needs to make alternative arrangements for consumption of paddy straw into the soil as per the directions of the NGT. The State government needs to focus on crop diversification. Instead of paddy (common rice), basmati varieties of rice should be encouraged. Basmati is manually harvested, so the problem of crop residue can be largely curtailed. Also, farming of sugar cane and vegetables needs to be promoted. Farmers need to understand that this practice will only damage their soil and farm in the long run and will result in loss of agriculture. While clearing the residue from the farm does add to the cost, benefits derived by not burning the crop residue are far more in the long run. Paddy residue can be used as composting, besides as dry fodder for cattle. Possible solutions: To tackle the problem of paddy residue, the Ludhiana-based PAU is working on in situ decomposition of paddy (rice) straw, with microbial application and without mechanical effort. This approach will hold to reduce the cost of retaining the straw in the field for its benefits to the soil. One of the ways to resolve the problem of stubble burning would be by generating power through biomass energy plants. The government should promote the setting up of biomass power plants. They will not only solve the problem of stubble burning but also generate electricity for the State. Punjab has a substantial availability of agro-waste, which is sufficient to produce about 1,000 MW of electricity, but the State government’s incentives for biomass-energy plants haven’t been enough. The Happy Seeder- a machine developed by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) to plant wheat directly into harvested paddy fields without any other major operation, and to promote the use of straw baler and straw management machines for residue management. In the machine, the straw is partly cut, chopped, and left as mulch. Mulch helps in reducing irrigation requirement and blocks the emergence of weeds. The crop planted with Happy Seeder is less prone to lodging. This is more profitable than conventional cultivation. Conclusion: Unless the State government offers financial incentives to farmers they are compelled to burn the harvested crop’s residue. There are many ways to tackle the problem, but a ban is not one of them. Connecting the dots: The ban on burning of crop residues in Punjab to solve the issue of environmental pollution is welcome but not feasible. Critically analyse. INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: India and its 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. India soon to be a major player in Afghanistan Introduction: India must expand its development role further and enhance its security profile in Afghanistan. India being viewed as a player: The Trump administration’s South Asia policy has underscored India’s centrality in the ‘Af-Pak’ theatre. As Washington plans to increase its military footprint in Afghanistan, it is tightening the screws on Pakistan for supporting terrorism as an instrument of state policy. Both Washington and Kabul now view New Delhi as a player with considerable leverage over the evolving regional dynamic. American outreach: A central feature of the Trump administration’s new Afghanistan policy is an outreach to India. “We appreciate India’s important contributions to stability in Afghanistan, but India makes billions of dollars in trade with the U.S. and we want them to help us more with Afghanistan, especially in the area of economic assistance and development,” Mr. Trump had said in August while outlining his new South Asia policy. A turnaround: Mr. Trump’s South Asia policy is a remarkable turnaround for Washington which had wanted to keep India out of its ‘Af-Pak’ policy for long for fear of offending Rawalpindi. India was viewed as part of the problem and now the Trump administration is arguing that India should be viewed as part of a solution to the Afghan imbroglio. Kabul's view on the strategy: Kabul has wholeheartedly embraced this strategy, with Mr. Ghani terming it a “game-changer” for the region as it “recommends multi-dimensional condition-based approach for the region.” In Delhi, he was categorical in attacking Pakistan by suggesting that “sanctuaries are provided, logistics are provided, training is provided, ideological bases are provided.” He went on to suggest that Afghanistan would restrict Pakistan's access to Central Asia if it is not given access to India through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. He referred to the Indo-Afghan air corridor as an effective response to Pakistan’s attempt to deny India and Afghanistan any direct access. He also strongly rejected Islamabad’s claims that India was using Afghanistan as a base to destabilise Pakistan. He made it clear that there were “no secret agreements” between Kabul and New Delhi. Against Pakistan: ·         US remarked Pakistan for not doing enough against terrorists operating from its soil. ·         Afghanistan President has underlined that the time had come for Islamabad to make a choice between abandoning state sponsorship of terrorism and facing the consequences. The messages sent to Pakistan shows that regional equations are shifting in a direction which will only isolate Islamabad if immediate corrective measures are not taken. Indian efforts: India has emphasised that it believes peace efforts in Afghanistan should be “Afghan-led” and “Afghan-controlled”. India continues to maintain that renunciation of violence and terror, and closure of state-sponsored safe havens and sanctuaries remain essential for any meaningful progress and lasting peace. Afghanistan had participated in the sixth Quadrilateral Coordination Group meeting along with the U.S., China and Pakistan in Muscat, Oman, in an attempt to revive stalled peace talks with the Taliban. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval went to Kabul to assess these developments on the same day. In recent years, India has not shied away from taking a high-profile role in Afghanistan. It remains one of the biggest donors of aid to Afghanistan, having committed $3.1 billion since 2001. Recently, it announced that it will be working on 116 new development projects in more than 30 areas. India’s agenda is to build the capacity of the Afghan state as well as of Afghan security forces, enabling them to fight their own battles more effectively. This is in line with the requirements of the Afghan government as well as the international community. Way forward: Expanding India’s development role further and enhancing its security profile with greater military assistance to Afghanistan should be a priority as new strategic opportunity open up in Afghanistan. While the U.S. has its own priorities in the ‘Af-Pak’ theatre, India’s should be able to leverage the present opening to further its interests and regional security. Conclusion: The recent developments in the region is a clear signal that India can no longer be treated as a marginal player in Afghanistan. This is a welcome change and holds significant implications for India, Afghanistan and the wider region. Connecting the dots: The U.S.'s new Afghanistan policy is an outreach to India. With Afghanistan support to the policy, India is surely to emerge as a major player in the region. Critically analyse. MUST READ Big vision hazy detail The Hindu How the future was compromised Indian Express Dystopia, Privatised Indian Express On H-1Bs, Trump hits Indians really hard Business Line  

Oct 28, 2017 RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : Police Reforms- A Wishlist

Police Reforms- A Wishlist Archives 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 Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges In a major boost to police reforms, the union cabinet approved Rs. 25060 crore outlay for upgrading the internal security apparatus in states. Union cabinet approved an umbrella scheme on ‘Modernisation of Police Forces’. The money will be spent from 2017-18 to 2019-2020. The Centre and States will share by 80%-20%. There is focus on 3 major challenges facing internal security. Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir Insurgency in north east Naxalism- left wing extremism To tackle them, there is need of technological as well as equipment upgradation such as hiring of helicopters, upgradation of police wireless, national satellite network, criminal tracking network and e-prison project and more. Background In 2015, government of India delinked centrally sponsored schemes. By that time 14th finance commission had increased the states share from 32% to 42%. So the central government said that with going up of state government share, the burden of some of the schemes was passed on to states. One of them was modernization of police forces. At the practical ground level experience, it was expected that there would be enhanced level of police reforms. But the state leadership was not convinced about it and hence nothing was done with respect to police modernization. The home ministry was conveyed about the same and realized that modernization of police reforms will have to come from central government. Strengthen the core District magistrates and district superintendent of police should be given the freedom to operate the police station and spend money. The criminal justice system in the 35 left wing extremism affected districts is poor. So there should be freedom to spend money on the necessities of security. At any given point of time, the development amount should be 25 crores and for police operations there should be 15 crores. This is necessary to accelerate the security operations and development. If there is necessary political and administrative will, it is possible to get rid of Naxalite menace. The paramilitary forces in Naxalite affected states should have free access across state borders. But if there is a case, it should be in the police station of the area where case had occurred. Free movement is the basic requirement as it means synchronization between forces. Improving police infrastructure The judicial system and the cases are pending in courts. Prisons are in bad shape. So there is need to improve police system, jails and ensure that the judicial system is effective in delivering justice. Knowing what is important Allocation of budget alone cannot bring improvement in police. There should be better gadgetry, equipment, transport, communication, forensic laboratories from the funds provided. This would enhance the capabilities of police to maintain internal security challenges. However, today, more than money, institutional reforms are needed as laid down by SC in 2006. It includes State security commission Police establishment board Complaints authority Security of tenure for officers Separation of investigation from law and order But these emphasis on instructional changes are yet pending. Political will is the key When it comes to reforms, those have the authority to reform are the most reluctant implementers. They believe that police reforms is an instrument of political power. The basic issue that political leadership has to constantly keep into view and that too by media and judiciary that the primary responsibility of the state is to safeguard life liberty and property of the citizens. This primary responsibility is not being discharged with full sincerity. This is visible from an incident in Haryana where more than 100 people were killed because district administration couldn’t enforce sec 144. Here, does the money help? In such situations as well as routinely, the voice of police, DSP, DM and judicial courts are very important. Political interference should be minimal. There is a PIL in SC wherein SC is directing various states to fill up the vacancies in police force. The allocation reflects the political will of government of India. Various improvement areas Manpower of police force- At state level, there is shortage of about 21-22% of personnel against the sanctioned strength. For central forces, there is shortage of 7%. This has impact on policing, internal security and morale of police. Lesser people means extended work hours, not enough leave and operational inefficiencies. This leads to less number of youth interested in police and other armed forces which is detrimental to national security. Infrastructure- Various reports say that mobility is an issue with police forces. There are not required police vehicles, the technological upgradation of police weaponry is not in sync with those used by criminal elements. For example, Rajasthan and West Bengal have 75% shortages in weaponry required. Capacity of state to absorb the modernization funds- Do the states have the capacity to spend enough of what is allocated is to be known. 2015 and 2016 indicate that of all the allocated funds towards police modernization, the states were able to take only 14-15% of those funds. This shows the poor absorption capacity of states to inevest funds in police reforms as well as lack of initiatives in the same direction. Sensitization of police force- The training institutions are dealing with humans who are diverse in their background, ethos they represent and values brought with them. They have to deal with those and sensitise them and bring necessary changes in their thinking and approach towards women, tribals, minorities, senior citizens and children. How to deal with common man, poor people, under privileged people has to be taught. But the sensitivity is related to the degree of autonomy given to policemen. If the government says that this group has to be treated in a certain way, the police will go and do. It depends on functional autonomy given. A man will be sensitive but if forced to do something insensitive, they will have to do it as they carry command from above. Thus illegal orders should be stopped. Area of community policing is working some places and should be encouraged. Laws to deal with problem are too many laws. Now effective enforcement is needed not any more laws. Police to public ratio should be improved. India has among the worst ratio in world. This will result in more coordination between people and the security in society they demand from government. Accountability is important as permanent civil servants have security of tenure. Now the focus is need of good governance which demands that democracy leadership has to empower both institutions and manpower. They should be accountable but have the freedom to decide. This is necessary as good governance means quality delivery of services in respect of rule of law. Currently, there is rule of police. There is need of people’s police now. Connecting the dots: What according to you are the essential police reforms to improve India’s internal security conditions? Examine.