Nov 20, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 20th November 2017 Archives 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. "Quad"- The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue In news: The first formal talks among the members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (or the “Quad”) took place between Australia, India, Japan and the US in Manila, Philippines. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East Asia Summit (EAS). Discussions: The discussions focused on cooperation based on the members' converging vision and values for promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in the region. The officials agreed that a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region serves the long-term interests of all countries in the region and of the world at large. Common challenges of terrorism and proliferation linkages impacting the region. Need to enhance connectivity. Background: The grouping's informal origins can be traced to 2004. In the wake of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami, Australia, India, Japan and the US launched an ad-hoc humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) mission, which allowed them to come together operationally. Since then the four navies have worked together on several occasions. The Quad was formally initiated in 2007 at the prompting of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. Formal Quad meetings were not possible following strong objections from China in 2007. Since 2015, the India-US Malabar naval exercises have included Japan and are likely to include Australia in the next iteration, thus making the military component of the Quad a reality Defining Indo-Pacific: The term “Indo-Pacific” is used to define the stretch of water from the tropical Indian Ocean, through the equatorial seas around the Indonesian archipelago, the South China Sea, and to the western and central Pacific Ocean. Potential for conflict in the region is high because of the absence of a robust regional peace and security architecture. Key drivers behind formally reviving the Quad: Several factors why the countries chose to revivify the Quad at this juncture are: All the Quad countries have noted in different ways that China’s rise has presented a serious challenge to a rules-based international order. For India, the Doklam confrontation with China and concerns over the latter’s so-called Belt Road Initiative (BRI). There is a desire to engage Washington more closely in the region. For Australia, and to some extent Japan, the key driver is the concern about the commitment of the Donald Trump administration to the bilateral alliance arrangements. For the US, the Quad offers a way to share its burden of containing China. Challenges: The Quad’s potential is likely to be limited by several internal differences. The three pillars of the Indo-Pacific architecture need to work in coordination- While the Quad is a crucial pillar of the peace and security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region, it needs to be supported by at least two other pillars. The EAS serves the role of the political pillar and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as the trade and economic pillar. While all Quad participants are members of EAS, India is still not a member of APEC. This lacuna needs to be remedied. India may need to enter into formal military arrangements and cooperation, even though this might bring with it the prospect of being dragged into a war not of its making. As NATO has shown, sometimes a democratic military alliance is essential to maintain peace. Washington’s indifference to the geopolitics of maritime South Asia. It may happen that Trump’s promotion of a “free and open Indo-Pacific region” is more focused on trade, than maritime security. Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is showing a new enthusiasm for naval engagement with Beijing. With many South-East Asian states openly acknowledging China’s role in regional security and development, it seems unlikely a proposal aimed at the containment of Chinese naval power in Asia will find much support. Britain and France must not be included: The resumption of the quadrilateral dialogue, is a good idea but there isn’t much rationale for involving Britain and France at this stage. The two have islands and military facilities in the region, still they are extra-regional powers. The European powers are still too fixated on Russia (rather than China) as the primary security threat to be of much utility to their Asian partners. Moreover, the greater the number of people at the table, the narrower the agenda on which a consensus can be achieved. Improved prospects for India: Facing a huge power deficit, India needs partnerships to balance China. New Delhi is rightly concerned about - Beijing’s use of its navy to normalize Chinese dominance of the littorals, a condition that supports Beijing’s vision of a unipolar Asia. Many thinks that China’s maritime strategy in the Indian Ocean involves a “slow choke” of New Delhi’s geopolitical influence in its strategic backyard. India’s neighbours—as foreign secretary S. Jaishankar has pointed out—are bound to feel more reassured of India’s (as against a rapacious China’s) words if New Delhi has the economic, military and political backing of major powers in the region. The Quad has the potential to secure the region against great power conflict. Conclusion: To be truly effective, the Quad will have to ensure the continued engagement and commitment of Washington to the region. Effective coordination among the four countries is required if the grouping hopes to offer smaller states in the region reasons to value the rules-based order compared to China’s competing vision. Connecting the dots: The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (or the “Quad”) holds potential to establish a robust regional peace and security architecture for the Indo-Pacific region. However, the success of the grouping will depend on the cooperation among the member countries. Discuss. Also read: Engaging big powers in South Asia 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. Bots: Good & Bad What are bots? A bot is a computer programme designed to work automatically. It is mainly used to gather information on the Internet or perform repetitive jobs. It is typically a collection of algorithms. An algorithm is simply a piece of software code that operates like a decision tree, considering multiple variables and then spitting out a decision or recommendation. Some popular examples of bots are Apple’s Siri, the Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana. Are they good or bad? Like for every technology, there are two sides to bots as well. Good bots: Search engine bots, commercial crawlers, feed fetchers and monitoring bots all fall in the classification of good bots. These are the tools that enable effective search engine optimization, digital marketing, website health reporting, mobile content etc. Beneficial uses of a bot are: It gathers information. Bots in such guises are called web crawlers. Automatic interaction using instant messaging, instant relay chat or other web interfaces. Dynamic interaction with websites. Artificial intelligence-based bots are increasingly being used by organisations and entities to provide customer care, and sales and marketing services. Some banks have also introduced AI-based chatbots that are capable of interacting with users and answering information-related queries. Bad bots: Impersonators, spammers, scrapers and hacker tools are the bad bots. A malicious bot is a self-propagating malware that infects its host and connects back to a central server(s). The bad side of bots: Malicious bots can gather passwords, log keystrokes, obtain financial information, relay spam, and exploit back doors opened by viruses and worms, among other things. They maliciously intend to scrap data, post comments redirecting to other websites or even find vulnerabilities to exploit them. Bots have also come under scrutiny in relation to automated accounts on Twitter and Facebook. Beyond the dangerousness of these bots, they also consume resources, like bandwidth and web servers, polluting the reactiveness of the website used by legitimate users concurrently. How can one know if the computer is infected? Symptoms such as a slow Internet or crashing of computer for no apparent reason, pop-up windows and advertisements appearing even when a web browser is not being used, friends and family receiving mails you did not send, or a fan going into “overdrive” when the device is idle may mean that the system is infected. Precautions and remedies: It is important to have a good anti-malware software. All software should be updated and system updates should not be ignored. Conclusion: Algorithms have brought efficiency, craftiness, and speed to nearly everything. But as with most breakthrough innovations, they have raise grave issues. Given the bots are almost everywhere, the next step must be to tackle the shortcomings. Connecting the dots: What do you mean by the word 'bots'. What is the difference between good and bad bots. Discuss its applications. PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS The India State-level Disease Burden Initiative Part of: Main GS Paper II – Social issue, Welfare and Health Key PT pointers: The health study was conducted jointly by the Indian Council of Medical Research, Public Health Foundation of India and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. It comprehensively identified the disease burden of the country. It revealed the extent of disease burden, which if unaddressed on a war footing could hurt the country’s enormous growth potential. Key findings: Between 1990 and 2016 the life expectancy improved significantly. The disease burden has undergone a structural shift: six out of 10 Indians now die due to non-communicable diseases (like a heart attack). Child and maternal malnutrition continue to cause premature deaths (an estimated six million children die before they are five years old). The study captures the disease burden expressed as the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death—it was nine-fold for diarrhoeal diseases and tuberculosis, and seven-fold for lower respiratory infections in 2016. The inequalities in the disease burden suggest that regional growth disparities will only widen. Way forward: The health atlas should be used by policy planners in order to develop customized curative solutions, instead of universalizing the strategy. Article link: Click here World Economic Outlook report of IMF Part of: Main GS Paper III – Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, growth, development, investment. Key PT pointers: The report published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ranks over 200 countries in terms of per capita GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP) India has moved up one position to 126th in terms of per capita GDP of countries while Qatar remains the world’s richest on this parameter, as per IMF data. Among BRICS countries, India has the lowest per capita GDP. Singapore, Brunei, Ireland and Norway are top five countries.  What is PPP? Purchasing power parity (PPP) between two countries is the rate at which the currency of one country needs to be converted into that of a second country to ensure that a given amount of the first country’s currency will purchase the same volume of goods and services in the second country as it does in the first. Article link: Click here A new surrender policy for militants in J&K Part of: Main GS Paper III – Internal Security Key pointers: A fresh surrender policy has been framed by the government, the Army and the J&K Police. The government has taken inputs from all security agencies to frame the fresh policy They said local militants in Jammu and Kashmir could use the helpline if they want to come back. Central focus: Earlier, the surrender policy was limited to those who crossed the Line of Control into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early 1990s and were stuck there. The new surrender policy is considering provision of “passports and jobs to any local youth who gives up the gun” and “support for his full assimilation into society.” Article link: Click here MUST READ More than just a counting game The Hindu Pacific Ocean's 11 The Hindu Crime and callousness Indian Express The roots of the crisis in the seed industry Livemint  

Nov 20, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 84]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 84] Archives Q.1) The Konyaks are found in Nagaland Arunachal Pradesh Mizoram Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Which of the following judgement laid that, “freedom of expression cannot be suppressed on account of threat of demonstration and processions or threats of violence”? Rangarajan v. Jagjivan Ram Hamdard Dawakhana v. Union of India Abbas v. Union of India Bennet Coleman and Co. v. Union of India Q.3) Consider the following statements about Carbapenems They are a class of last-resort antibiotics Patients hospitalized with an invasive, ESBL infection are usually treated with a medicine from the carbapenem class Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about Petcoke It emits less carbon dioxide than coal on a per-unit-of-energy basis when it is burned Fuel grade petcoke is high in sulphur and metals Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) SAFAR System is concerned with Tourism Air Quality Mines Allocation Connecting tier 2 & tier 3 cities through airways To Download the Solution – Click here All The Best   IASbaba

Nov 20, 2017 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : SC Decision on Right to Privacy

SC Decision on Right to Privacy ARCHIVES Search 24th August 2017 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court has ruled that Indians enjoy a fundamental right to privacy that it is intrinsic to life and liberty and thus comes under Article 21 of the Indian constitution. Experts have said that it is one of the most important verdict since 1973 since SC propounded a basic structure theory. This is an era where right to privacy covers many aspects and the implications it will have for various cases pending in SC. This judgement overrules two earlier cases when right to privacy was not called as fundamental right by SC- M.P. Sharma case in 1958 and the Kharak Singh case in 1961. It was not included in part 3 of constitution which includes FR. But in other judgements, one time SC has said that it is a limited fundamental right and in other judgement said that every citizen has a right to privacy. So there have been four judgments on right to privacy as a fundamental right. The constitution makers and constitution assembly had discussed the question of including right to privacy and decided not to include it. But Judiciary’s right to declare constitutionality The basic point is SC has no power to create a new fundamental right but it has the authority to interpret the provisions in regards to FRs. It interpreted that right to live included right to live with dignity. In this judgement, right to privacy is included in art 21. But to say it as a creation of new fundamental right is misleading as only the parliament by constitutional amendment can create a new right. Instead, it can be said that right to privacy is a part of right to life. For example, technically it is not said that freedom of press is fundamental right. In constitution commission it was said that freedom of press be included but it wasn’t done. It was said that right to freedom of expression includes freedom of press. Basis of the judgement The petitioners had contended that the biometric data and iris scan that was being collected for issuing Aadhaar cards violated the citizen’s fundamental right to privacy as their personal data was not being protected and was vulnerable to exposure and misuse. The petitioners argued that privacy is a broader concept and data sharing is only one aspect of privacy. Every right has certain limitations and restrictions. There is no absolute right and there is no absolute fundamental right. Whether the restrictions on right to privacy that the legislation with regard to aadhar- what restrictions it places on right to privacy if reasonable or not, if permissible or not in constitution is yet to be known. When the petition was originally filed, there was no law on aadhar and it was done through executive action. Now there is a law so basic challenge to aadhar scheme is solved. Right to privacy is multi-faceted. But there are two kinds of limitations when it comes to sharing of privacy The person concern can himself/herself can put limit on his/her right to privacy or can surrender the right. Certain rights are sold. So rights can be surrendered/limited/sold. The state can put certain restrictions on rights. If the bank gives loan, it may ask in return for thumb impression. So, to avail the facility, the person has to sometime surrender his right to privacy. When the finance act linked aadhar with filing of income tax return, it upheld the government decision. State extends certain facilities or gives certain rights to citizens and while giving those, it may lay down certain conditions as nothing is without restriction. The technology has progressed so much, rights which were considered under right to privacy, it is not possible to implement them in this age. For example, the drones and satellites enter the private areas and take pictures. Earlier it would have been considered breach of privacy but it is not so today. There will be variety of cases concerning the right to privacy. But there cannot be any uniform application of law. It will be decided on case to case basis and cannot be implemented in general capacity. One of the important things that judges have discussed about sec 377 of IPC which criminalizes homosexuality. They have not declared it unconstitutional but have discussed it. It has said that “It is an individual’s choice as to who enters his house, how he lives and in what relationship. The privacy of the home must protect the family, marriage, procreation and sexual orientation, which are all important aspects of dignity.” One of the implication is going to have on this case as it is pending before a curative bench in SC. Conclusion Life and personal liberty are inalienable rights. These are rights which are inseparable from a dignified human existence. The dignity of the individual, equality between human beings and the quest for liberty are the foundational pillars of the Indian Constitution. Life and personal liberty are not creations of the Constitution. These rights are recognised by the Constitution as inhering in each individual as an intrinsic and inseparable part of the human. Thus, Privacy is a constitutionally protected right which emerges primarily from the guarantee of life and personal liberty in Article 21 of the Constitution. Also read: https://iasbaba.com/2017/09/rstv-big-picture-sc-ruling-privacy-implications/ https://iasbaba.com/2017/08/4-right-privacy-declared-fundamental-right-9-judge-bench-supreme-court-implications-will-judgement-indias-data-security-regime-examine/ Connecting the dots: Right to privacy is not a fundamental right but a notional right. Share your views with suitable example.

Nov 19, 2017 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Happy for No Reason – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Happy for No Reason: If there is something that distinctly stands out as a unique expression of human existence, it has to be the constant pursuit of happiness. The whole of humanity is driven by this single most all empowering desire to find happiness. Everything we have achieved and lost is probably because of this endeavor. Everybody is searching. Most of the time what we are searching for seems to be very close and yet always just beyond our reach. Only when we have lived long enough do we really understand that what we are searching for will always be out of reach; the very nature of our searching and desiring puts things at an unreachable distance. There is no other greater cause of worry, frustration and anxiety than being extremely close to achieving something and always missing it. This is why we suffer. We suffer not because we are too far away from what we want and we can’t seem to get to it; we suffer because everything is just at a grasping distance and when we stretch our hands out to grab it, it moves a little farther. The reason for this is what we are searching for is not an actual physical distinguishable reality that is waiting for us somewhere in our future. What we are searching for is a product of our own imagination. We are suffering our own intelligence and imagination. Imagination is so powerful that it can generate new thought patterns and desires at a much faster pace than you can ever imagine of achieving all of them. To understand this constant imaginative nature of our mind is probably the most important knowledge one has to possess in order to understand and find happiness. We have to recognize that our ability to create desires will always keep us in a constant state of worry, even if we are extremely efficient in accomplishing all our tasking and attaining to our dreams. This doesn’t mean that pursuit of a better life and happiness is a futile exercise. The only way we can add some meaning to our lives is by pursuing a desire that we are passionate about. Without a purpose to drive our actions, we are simply lost. But this doesn’t mean that we will find the happiness we are searching for somewhere in the future. Happiness isn’t a destination; it is hidden in the very process of trying to pursue it. Happiness is always in the present moment, while are desires and actions are always somewhere in the future. Happiness isn’t something we can find as a consequence of achieving or attaining something. It is much more plain and simple; at every moment of our lives, we are either happy or not; there is no process to attaining happiness. Happiness is not a result of our actions; it is rather the foundation of everything we do. Only when we recognize that happiness is an instant state we can generate within ourselves, irrespective of our external environment, we can attain to happiness. To be happy for no reason is the only happiness we can truly experience. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”

Nov 19, 2017 Motivational Articles

MOTIVATION: SUCCESS for a CSE Aspirant is Defined by their ATTITUDE!

If you really want to succeed, form the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do. A lot of research has been done on success and failure. One can read the life histories of successful people, to understand the secrets of success. These people have certain qualities in common no matter their fields of work. Success leaves clues. It is no mystery. Failure is a result of making a few mistakes repeatedly. Think about the following: Why does one person move forward with one success story after another, while others keep getting ready? Why does one man take risks and goes through life crossing one hurdle after another, while other struggles and gets nowhere? What makes one aspirant successful? How did the person who secured AIR 1 views success? Does he/she view success as a destination or a journey? Is success internal or external to him/her? Does the quality of journey matter to him/her? Do they think success and happiness go hand in hand? Do you agree? These are the questions that will lead you to a winning edge. Success is a journey and not a destination. You need to work hard and feel the success within yourself. You need to attach much more importance to your inner progress than to just mere numbers in your test. Slowly, those numbers will mirror the success that you will harbour within. This will pave way for a better quality of your CSE journey. This will lead to success that will be the manifestation of good luck resulting from inspiration, aspiration, desperation and perspiration. Strive for excellence in your results. This will help you in moving forward even when you make mistakes because there is nothing that can’t be improved. Remember that successful people are not ten times smarter than the people who are unable to realise their dreams. They strive for excellence at all times, and this is the real difference. They do not get discouraged by their defeats, but continue sharpening their axes to triumph over the rest. Nothing worthwhile in life comes without struggle. You will face disappointment with your result or with your inability to cope up with the pressure. But instead of getting disappointed, take that as a cue and work on coming up with a solution to beat it. Success will not be measured by your position in life. It will always be measured by the obstacles that you overcome to get there.   Sharpen your bounce back ability. Make small changes to achieve your goals. Look out for solutions for every problem that you encounter. Keep moving, even when on the ground. Never quit! Life is really very simple. What you give out, you get back.   Your Action Plan: List major problems that you have been dealing with on a continuous basis. Then try and write down at least one positive outcome that each of your problems has led to. Once you are done, discuss it on the Confession forum in the form of comments or with your friends and offer your constructive suggestions and encourage others to work on this action plan as well. This exercise will help you in understanding that what sets everything apart or what makes or breaks one’s fate is nothing but a difference in the approach, in one’s attitude. As of now, the other problems you are dealing with Backlogs How to manage ILP with TLP? Let’s address them one by one BACKLOGS We have two cases here Those who are late joiner in ILP and those who have not been consistent with it despite joining from Day 1: Think on these lines What if you were not part of ILP? How would have you managed with preparation if decided to appear in 2018? What benefit will ILP provide at this stage? Without ILP- You have to cover everything on your own starting from content development to consolidating current affairs. This will take a decent amount of time and effort and constant demotivation will always be there. ILP has everything that you need to qualify this examination. Why worry about coverage then? Cannot you focus only on consolidating your preparation using its Plan, Quality Value Add Notes, Current Affairs and Tests? Is it so difficult to focus on what is in front of you as a sure shot guidance? Do you need to realize your dream that why you chose UPSC? Nothing is going to help except your inner drive to achieve this. No motivation will ever come to your rescue. Look at the Plan, start following it. It is no one’s fault that you started late neither it is a disadvantage as you see it. It is all about complete faith to follow. The faith was already there when you joined ILP. Why not materialize it now? HOW TO MANAGE ILP AND TLP? Regenerate yourself. First, understand yourself and your position. What is your requirement? Are you prepared to write full-length answers at this point of time? Or you think, writing without preparation or content development will make you a good writer? In ILP or in general, not everyone is a fresher and not everyone is a veteran. In ILP- we provide mains mock and synopsis as per the blocks in the plan. What is its utility? For an aspirant done with a basic level of preparation and one-time completion of syllabus, it will just be a revision or say content enhancement. He/she can take TLP as writing practice easily. But for an aspirant still trying hard with syllabus completion, writing on TLP, attempting all the questions in real time will be a challenge. What is the solution? Why cannot you focus on content enhancement from TLP also? It can be done in following way: Be thorough with understanding the context behind the questions and learn everything provided through synopsis. Start with a target of one question per day- Do not attempt to write all the questions. Just focus on one of the questions and prepare its content. Then write it in real time as you will write in the examination hall. Slowly you will realize all your lacunas and will improve with consistency and practice. For change to occur, you need not only put effort but time. And consistent effort (spending time on it) will let you see the unimaginable changes within you. This is how others who have succeeded in this examination have achieved it. No one is born with all these. It is their crave to learn and improve that has outshined them from others. Everything required is listed on ILP platform from plan to notes to motivational cum guidance articles. You are least worried about it because you have got it in physical form but not in essence. And this is because of your attitude! You have to change your ATTITUDE towards this preparation and nothing else. You think too much but seldom worry about action. Because it is input oriented. When you are done listing down the positive outcome that every problem has resulted in, you will realise that the outcome could have been much better, if you had the right attitude to welcome it. No, it is not your fault. But what is important to understand here is that even if you have acquired a negative attitude, whether by design or by default, you need not stick with it. Can you change? You bet! Every single thought that crosses your mind is creating your future. If you think that you are feeling great, you will start feeling great in a matter of minutes. If you think that you are too tired, you will not be able to even pick up a book to revise. These are outcomes directly correlated with our thoughts. It will not be wrong to say that each one of us creates our experiences by our own thoughts and feelings. No other person, no place, and nothing have any power above us, for “we” are the only drivers of our mind and our future. Adjust your Focus Seek good always. Train yourself to look for positives, even if a situation goes out of hand. Look for what is right in a person or situation. Kick out the habit of finding fault. This does not mean that you should stop evaluating and blindly follow the positive. Having a positive approach helps you stay aware, and more understanding of every kind of situation. Be an Optimist Be so strong that no situation or no person can disturb your peace of mind. You must be thinking that it is easier said than done. What if we tell you that it is definitely easier said but can be easily done as well? How – Talk health, happiness and prosperity for every person that you meet. Help everyone around you find the sunny side of everything. Think only of the best results, work hard to achieve the rank that you wish for and expect only the best, no matter what. Forget the mistakes of the past, learn from them and strive to be the better version of yourself. Say goodbye to your best friend – Procrastination A lot of aspirants have ‘procrastination’ as their best friend. Almost each one of them has procrastinated at some time in their preparation and has deeply regretted later. This is one of the many factors that lead to failure – it fatigues you more than the effort it takes to do it. The CSE journey is not a dress rehearsal, and you must think that you just get one shot at it. The stakes are too high to waste your time. Do what needs to be done at the correct time with the correct attitude. Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and there will come a time when you will be doing what you thought to be impossible. So, stop suffering from ‘Paralysis by Analysis’, stop giving excuses and get done with your planned tasks in time. Be Grateful & Develop a Positive Self-Esteem Count your blessings and not the pebbles in your CSE journey. Take out time and smell the jasmines and the roses along the path. Learn to think about these pebbles as hidden treasures that are there to toughen you up so that you are able to face bigger problems with ease. Exercise and eat well. This contributes to a better performance. If you want to be a Civil Servant, you will have to be a Giver. A Giver has high self-esteem, a positive attitude, and they serve society selflessly. Stay away from negative influences. Do not let negative situations or people drag you down. Knowledge is not Power Knowledge is not power. It is information. It is a potential power, which becomes power only when acted upon. Ever heard it is not how much you eat that matters, what matters is how much you digest. Look out for moral education, as it will be the person who is morally educated who will be a lot better equipped to move up in life in true sense. Hold your ground steadfastly, and choose good over bad and positive over negative always. They are winners - who recognize their limitations, but focus on their strengths. “If you are going to change your life, you need to start immediately” On a paper, write down the points in short and keep it on your desk. Read these the first thing before beginning your day and also when you are done for the day. Reading it daily will help you print these steps in your subconscious mind. Your mind will then design responses to the situations accordingly. When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit- Rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a fellow turns about When he might have won had he stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow - You may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man; Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor's cup; And he learned too late when the night came down, How close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out - The silver tint in the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It might be near when it seems afar; hit - It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.   Your friend, philosopher and guide IASbaba  

Nov 18, 2017 PIB

IASbaba PIB Weekly : Press Information Bureau – 12th Nov to 18th Nov, 2017

IASbaba Press Information Bureau 12th to 18th November, 2017 ARCHIVES GS-2  ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ – Mega National Tribal Festival (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector) Theme: A celebration of the spirit of Tribal culture, cuisine & commerce Aim: To introduce this wonderful cultural heritage to all over India and the world Objects and artifacts made by tribals will have an opportunity to sell them and get financial benefits What is special about the tribes? As the name of this event suggests, it is the ‘adi’ factor that is important about them. Adivasis are the aboriginals. Their way of life is guided by primal truths, eternal values and a natural simplicity. The greatness of the tribes lies in this that they have managed to retain the primal skills and their natural simplicity. Their creations have a timeless appeal. The crudest tribal handicraft instantly touches a chord in all of us. This is also particularly true of tribal music and dance. The national object of inclusive development (Sabka Vikas) includes the development of tribes as an important component. Our constitution enjoins upon the Government the responsibility of addressing the special needs of the tribals. Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – ‘Saubhagya’ (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector) Saubhagya Dashboard is a platform for monitoring household electrification progress, which would disseminate information on Household Electrification Status (State, District, village-wise), Household Progress on live basis, State-wise Target vs Achievement, Monthly Electrification Progress, etc. The Government is bringing a change in the Power ecosystem in the country by pushing towards mandatory metering of all new electrical connections through pre-paid or smart meters. This would make paying of electricity bills viable for the poor, reduce power losses and increase compliance in paying electricity bills This online platform every State would feed in the current status of progress of electrification works, hence enabling the creation of a system of accountability for the State utility/ DISCOM and help in increasing their viability. The Saubhagya web-portal has a feature on village electrification camps and in line with that, DISCOMs will organize camps in villages/cluster of villages for facilitating on-the-spot filling up of application forms and to complete requisite documentation to expedite release of electricity connections to households Background: ‘Saubhagya’ scheme was launched by Prime Minister of India with an outlay of Rs. 16,320 Crores including Budgetary Support of Rs. 12,320 Crores. Under Saubhagya scheme, all willing households in rural areas and poor families in urban areas are given free electricity connections. There are around 4 Crore un-electrified households in the country and they are targeted for providing electricity connections by December 2018. Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) is the Nodal Agency for the operationalization of the scheme throughout the country. Cabinet approves Establishment of the National Anti-profiteering Authority under GST – mandated to ensure that the benefits of the reduction in GST rates on goods or services are passed on to the ultimate consumers by way of a reduction in prices. Agreement between India and Belarus on Scientific and Technological Cooperation for mutual benefit in the areas of science, technology, agriculture, etc. – The Agreement is aimed at identifying, assessing, developing and commercializing globally competitive technologies from India and Belarus. It will support institutions in both countries by way of research, technology transfers, exchange of visits and joint workshops leading to scientific and economic benefit. MoU between India and Poland for the promotion of Civil Aviation Cooperation – The objective of the MoU is to recognize the mutual benefit of Cooperation in the field of Civil Aviation having particular significance in establishing and improving Regional Air Connectivity in India. Apart from this, both sides will recognize the mutual benefits of environmental testing or approvals, flight simulators monitoring and approvals, aircraft maintenance facilities approvals, maintenance personnel approvals and aircrew members’ approvals. Continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme to improve judiciary infrastructure: The Cabinet also approved setting up of an on-line monitoring system with geo-tagging by the Department of Justice enabling data collection on progress, completion of court halls and residential units under construction, including for future projects as well as better asset management and formulation of norms and specification of court halls and residential units to be constructed under Scheme for implementation throughout the country for future. The Scheme will increase the availability of suitable number of Court Halls and Residential Accommodations for Judges / Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate Courts all over the country including at District, Sub-District, Taluka, Tehsil and Gram Panchayat and Village levels. This will help in improving the functioning and performance of the Judiciary across the country in reaching out to every citizen. An on-line monitoring system will be set up by the Department of Justice enabling data collection on progress, completion of court halls and residential units under construction as well as better asset management. Continuation of sub-schemes under Umbrella Scheme “Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)” – The approved Schemes include: Anganwadi Services Scheme for Adolescent Girls Child Protection Services National Crèche Scheme Please Note: 14th November: World Diabetes Day 16th November: National Press Day Exercise SAMPRITI – Bilateral defence cooperation endeavour between India and Bangladesh 1st WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending TB in Sustainable Development Era’ – Moscow, Russia The National Strategic Plan for TB elimination in India has essentially four pillars to address the major challenges for TB control, namely- “Detect, Treat, Build and Prevent”. 25% of the budget is earmarked for direct interventions in this area - this include free diagnosis with rapid molecular tests, free treatment with best quality drugs and regimens, financial and nutritional support to patients, online TB notification systems, mobile technology based adherence monitoring system, interphase agencies for better private sector engagements, policy for transparent service purchase schemes, stronger community engagements, communication campaigns, regulatory systems to capture information on all those consuming anti-TB drugs etc. India is a major manufacturer of anti-TB drugs for the world having almost an 80% global market share Northeast is all set to get India’s first-ever "Air Dispensary" based in a helicopter – helicopter will be based at two locations, namely Imphal in Manipur and Meghalaya in Shillong. Both of these cities have premier postgraduate medical institutes from where specialist doctors, along with the necessary equipment and paramedical staff, would be able to move into the helicopter and hold a dispensary/OPD in different locations across the eight States of North Eastern Region. On its way back, the same helicopter can also transport a sick patient, requiring admission to a city hospital. The National Achievement Survey (NAS) is the largest ever national assessment survey in the country and is amongst the largest in the world – NAS is a transparent and credible exercise done under third party verification. It was conducted for the Classes 3, 5 and 8 in government and government aided schools. The survey tools used multiple test booklets with 45 questions in Classes III and V related to language, mathematics and 60 questions in Class VIII in Mathematics, Language, Sciences and Social Sciences. The competency based test questions developed reflected the Learning Outcomes developed by the NCERT which were recently incorporated in the Right to Education Act (RTE) by the Government of India. Along with the test items, questionnaires pertaining to students, teachers and schools were also used. National Power Portal (NPP) – a Centralized Platform for Collation and Dissemination of Indian Power Sector Information Agriculture in India: India is the world's largest producer of milk, pulses and jute, and ranks as the second largest producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane, groundnut, vegetables, fruit and cotton. From 50 million tons in 1950, India's food grain production rose more than five times, to over 257 million tons in 2014-15. India is the world's largest milk producer, producing over 130 million tons annually. The dairy sector is also one of the largest employers of rural people, especially women. With an annual production of over 10 million tons, India ranks second in global fish production and aquaculture, next only to China. Agriculture, along with fisheries and forestry contributes around 17 per cent of the Gross Value Added (GVA) during 2016-17 at 2011-12 prices The country’s food grain production increased by 8.7 per cent and reached a record high of 273.83 million tonnes in 2016-17. How can technology help improve farmers’ lives? First, we have to bring in a major shift in Indian agriculture moving it from a low-productivity stage to a high productive level and at the same time ensure that it is sustainable and equitable. The productivity of most of the crops in the country is below world average mainly because of poor access to irrigation and improved technology. We must focus on intensification and diversification of farming in order to increase productivity and farmers’ incomes.  Productivity will go up through use of high yielding varieties of seeds and efficient use of land and water. Farmers must be encouraged to diversify and take up high value crops like fruits, vegetables, fibre, condiments, pulses, spices and sugarcane. There is also a tremendous potential to diversify towards other allied occupations as well like dairy and forestry. Similarly, we need to encourage farmers to take up agro-forestry and forestry; irrigation is of course the most crucial factor in which technology can greatly help. Not only should we use technology to increase the availability of water, but we should also advise the farmers on the optimum utilization of available water. Conservation of water, rain water harvesting, construction of check dams, drip and sprinkler irrigation are areas in which technological inputs will be valuable. Second, in addition to irrigation, we need to focus on infrastructure like rural roads, dependable quality power, godowns, cold storage facilities, refrigerated vans and market yards. A major thrust must be given to food processing. Technology plays a very important role in encouraging farmers to take up entrepreneurial ventures and agro-based industries. The farmers have to be given to the latest know-how and trained in the do-how as well. The third area in which technology can support the transformation we are envisaging is Marketing. Selling agricultural produce and getting a fair return is a big challenge for most farmers. The farmers still rely on local markets and have to resort, very often, to distress sale. Reliable, real time information is key. The new initiative called E-NAM seeks to remedy this situation by adopting an e-trading platform for agricultural commodities. The farmers will gain if we can enable them to tap into the export markets as well. Technologies can help in making this transition from mere sellers in the domestic market to exporters of surplus produce. The fourth and the fifth important building blocks of a robust ecosystem are timely credit facilities at reasonable interest rates and farmer-friendly insurance policies. Both these can be made more transparent and farmer-friendly if the power of digital technologies can be harnessed. These encourage farmers to invest in better, income-generating crops and agricultural practices and increase their incomes. The insurance cover shields the farmers against unforeseen climatic and natural disasters.  The kisan credit cards and the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) are steps in the right direction and need to be universalized. Solve: Qn 1 + Qn 2 + Qn 3 + Qn 4 + Qn 5 Must Read: Mindmap + Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3  

Nov 18, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 18th November 2017 Archives SOCIAL ISSUES TOPIC: General Studies 2: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. Issues relating to Poverty and hunger Engaging Private Sector to end Malnutrition Background: Nutrition outcomes in South Asia are among the worst in the world. 38% of children (below five years) are stunted, as compared with 26% globally. Wasting prevalence at 15% is also high. Nearly half of women in the reproductive age suffer from anemia. South Asia not only suffers from under-nutrition related issues, but is also experiencing a growing epidemic of obesity, with nearly 29% of adults now overweight. Note: Stunting, or short height for age, and wasting, or low weight for length/height, are important public health indicators. India’s position: India has one of the highest percentages of malnourished children in the world at 42%. Despite running one of the oldest child nutrition programmes, the ICDS has so far failed to address the country’s abysmal maternal and child health track record. The Union women and child development (WCD) has identified 12,000 undernourished children across 77 districts in eight states, with new monitoring methods. The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) found an unconscionably high percentage (38%) of children stunted and underweight (36%). The just released 2017 Global Hunger Index shows India has slid three places from the 2014 list and is one of four countries with a fifth of its children suffering from wasting. Factors that lead to poor nutrition: lack of access to clean drinking water, sanitation and health care low education poor consumption basket (skewed towards certain carbohydrates, for instance rice in Bangladesh and Myanmar) low consumer awareness poor quantity and quality of food Malnutrition problems can be traced to poor-quality diets lacking in diversity food insecurity due to inadequate production and lack of availability and affordability of certain food groups (eg fruits, dairy and meat) In addition to above factors, other concerns such as - excessive use of chemicals in farming, export of better quality food, unhygienic food production/processing practices, and poor cooking practices (excessive use of oil and overcooking) – all these results in gross deficit of essential macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, etc.) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Measures: Governments, civil society organisations and donors have made significant efforts to improve nutrition outcomes through school meals, distribution of micronutrient supplements, campaigns for behaviour change and other social programmes. For more than 40 years, governments have intervened with food transfers in pre-school Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres. These infant food transfers were mandated as legal rights first by the Supreme Court and then by the National Food Security Act 2013. But these efforts are likely to fall short. If we are to meet South Asia’s SDG target of ending malnutrition by 2030, we must engage the private sector to accelerate progress. Benefits of engaging the private sector: Business/private sector can play on key strengths such as large-scale production capacity, product and business model innovation, marketing expertise and extensive distribution networks and supply chains, to complement government and social sector efforts. Comparative analysis of different countries highlighted that businesses can leverage their product development expertise and production capacity to manufacture supplements and fortified food products (zinc-fortified rice, vitamin A-fortified edible oil, iodised salt). They can partner with governments and CSOs for distribution through social programmes. For instance, In Bangladesh, edible oil millers mandatorily fortify their oil, and fortified rice is distributed to BPL women by the government through the Vulnerable Group Development Programme. In Myanmar, CSOs and government support rice fortification by private players by subsidizing capex and distributing through social programmes. In addition to supplements, there are five tangible opportunities to engage the private sector in driving up nutrition outcomes in South Asia: Nudging (to attract or influence) customers to purchase nutrition products: Large and progressive retailers/retail chains can proactively carry nutritious products, display them prominently, and educate consumers on their benefits. They can be a key channel of influence as consumers often rely on retailers for information and point-of-purchase decision-making. Tech-enabled nutrition awareness and service delivery: Technology and telecom businesses can build platforms to deliver nutrition-related information, track diets and key nutrition indicators. These will help in early identification of deficiencies, and connect consumers to relevant health services. Influencing cooking practices: Media and food companies can help spread awareness on the nutritional value of different foods and improve cooking practices, through interventions such as health food TV shows. Celebrity chefs can be key influencers. Workplace nutrition programmes: Companies can be effective channels for distributing nutritious food and building awareness among employees and their communities. CSR support for nutrition: Businesses that are not directly related to nutrition can also become “nutrition champions” by backing the cause as part of their social responsibility efforts. It can be used to generate awareness and deliver nutritious food through their social programmes. Therefore, it is important to catalyze private sector engagement through ecosystem level changes and enabling policy environment. This could include reduced import duties on fortification machinery, tax holidays/incentives, introduction of “fat tax”, input subsidies, among others. Funding support in the form of grants and other sub-commercial debt options can also crowd-in private sector investment in nutrition. For businesses lacking knowhow to produce nutritious/fortified food items, CSOs could provide the necessary technical expertise. Conclusion: Addressing the nutrition crisis in the subcontinent requires concerted effort and the private sector can play an important complementary role. Private sector can help South Asia to meet its SDG target of ending malnutrition by 2030. It is time that governments recognise this and formulate favourable policies and encourage the setup of multi-stakeholder networks that can catalyse private participation. Evidence from other countries has shown that countries which have adopted a multi-sectoral framework, the results are tangible and specific. India needs demographic dividend and not a demographic disaster. Connecting the dots: Can India meet sustainable development goals on poverty, hunger and malnutrition despite sluggish economy? Also examine the need for catalyzing private sector engagement to meet the above goal. What is food fortification and bio-fortification? Discuss how fortification can be a major strategy of the government of India to reduce malnutrition in India. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 1: Poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment The conflict between Adaptation, Mitigation and Loss & Damage Background: In Paris in December 2015, countries across the globe agreed to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C; to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C; and to achieve net zero emissions in the second half of this century. Each country also outlined what post-2020 climate actions they intended to take under the Paris Agreement, known as their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). Three broad categories of Climate Change: All the things to do under ‘dealing with climate change’ fall into following broad categories: Mitigation- It is about limiting further rise in global temperature. It involves phasing out fossil fuels and shifting to renewables, electric vehicles, green buildings etc. Adaptation- It is about what to do to cope with the effects of climate change that people are already facing. Loss and damage (L&D)- It is about the repair work that would need to be done after a certain climate event, say a hurricane, hits a place. Divide over three broad categories: Mitigation is important to the developed countries. They are better equipped to handle disasters and they only need to ensure that the disasters don’t grow bigger than they can handle. Adaptation is crucial for developing countries. India is particularly vulnerable to climate risks. North India will be visited upon alternately by floods and droughts if the Himalayan glaciers melt (they are melting). L&D measures are most important for the least developed countries, particularly the small island nations. An equal attention is required: Logically, equal attention should be paid on all the three. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) brought out its (second) Adaptations Gap report, in which it agrees that adaptation has not gained much attentiom. Despite the awareness, it has not translated sufficiently into tangible action. The entire narrative around climate change has been heavily skewed (inclined) towards mitigation. The powerful developed world has made the whole climate narrative mitigation-centric because it seemingly is in their own interests. Even developed countries are not immune to climate impact. Thus, not paying enough attention towards adaptation would lead to strategic error. Example- the recent droughts and forest fires in California and the havoc-wreaking rains in Houston resulted into huge damage. Climate related funds: The Adaptation Fund, conceived in 2001, took six years to operationalise. The $462 million fund has been given out in the ten years of its operations. At Bonn, Germany contributed €50 million to the fund. The Green Climate Fund, set up in 2010 with target of making available $100 billion annually by 2020, has so far collected a corpus of $9.2 billion only in the last seven years. More allocation towards mitigation: The GCF was meant to divide its resources equally between mitigation and adaptation, but only a third of the allocations have gone to adaptation. Similar is the case with World Bank’s allocations of its climate funds. Adaptation finance available to developing countries today is very less given the cost of damage is huge. Examples: Hurricane Maria that hit Puerto Rico recently resulted into loss of $45 billion. Typhoon Haiyan, which it the Phillipplines in 2014, cost the country $12 billion. Challenges for India: India, has 121 highly climate-vulnerable agro-climatic zones, and thus urgently needs to pay attention to adaptation. India has its own National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change with ₹531 crore from the Budget. But the demand is so high that the government cannot manage from its own resources. Way forward: India needs to seek more multilateral funding from the developed world going by the ‘polluter pays’ principle. Money is needed not only to build physical defences but also equally for increasing knowledge base of “adaptation science”—like predicting weather to developing heat-resistant crop varieties. As Fiji has taken over the Presidency of the Conference of Parties (from Morocco), the country should course-correct the talks towards L&D and Adaptation. India, in its own interests, should be focus the talks towars adaptation. Conclusion: The importance of adaptation, even if global warming is to be limited to 2 degrees, can never be overstressed. The recent Emissions Gap Report of UNEP projects a 3 degrees warmer world by 2100. This means we should expect big trouble. The least we can do is to learn to deal with it and the first step towards it is to treat adaptation on par with mitigation. Connecting the dots: Define adaptation, mitigation and loss and damage- the three broad categories of climate change. Across global negotiations there is more than required inclination towards adaptation, while logically equal attention should be paid on all three. Discuss.  PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS India's sovereign rating raised by Moody's  Part of: Main GS Paper III - Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, growth, development, investment. Key PT pointers: Global ratings agency Moody’s revised India’s sovereign ranking to Baa2 from Baa3. The upgradation has taken place for the first time in 13 years. According to Moody, implementation of a string of economic reforms – GST, demonetization, UID, direct benefit transfer and new monetary policy system – have strengthened economy. India now rated higher than Brazil, Russia and South Africa but lower than China. Challenges being faced by Indian economy, as highlighted by the agency: The GST’s implementation challenges. Weak private sector investment. The slow resolution of banks’ bad loans. Pending land and labour market reforms Long term gains: The upgraded sovereign rankings to bring more foreign investments. Article link: Click here Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS) Part of: Main GS Paper III - Cyber Security issues. Key PT pointers: The Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS) is one of the world’s largest conferences in the field of cyberspace and related issues. The conference will be held on November 23 and 24, 2017 at Aerocity in New Delhi. The theme for this year’s GCCS is “Cyber4All: A Secure and Inclusive Cyberspace for Sustainable Development”. The first ever GCCS was held in London in 2011, the second GCCS in 2012 in Budapest, the third edition of GCCS was held in 2013 in Seoul. The fourth version GCCS 2015 was held in 2015 in The Hague, Netherlands Central focus: The overall goals of GCCS 2017 are- To promote the importance of inclusiveness and human rights in global cyber policy. To defend the status quo of an open, interoperable and unregimented cyberspace. To create political commitment for capacity building initiatives to address the digital divide and assist countries. To develop security solutions. Article link: Click here Joint India-Bangladesh Training Exercise "Sampriti 2017"  Part of: Main GS Paper II – International Relations, India and the World, Security issues Key PT pointers: It was conducted in Mizoram. It was the seventh such exercise in the Sampriti series. Central focus: To strengthen and broaden the aspects of interoperability and cooperation between the Indian and Bangladesh armies. Further helps to strengthen bilateral ties. Article link: Click here Indian Road Assessment Programme (IndiaRAP) Part of: Main GS Paper III - Infrastructure, Road Accidents, Role of NGOs Key PT pointers: Global logistics major FedEx Express launched a road assessment programme for India. It is meant to address safety concerns. This is in partnership with International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP). International Road Assessment Programme is a registered charity dedicated to preventing road deaths through safer infrastructure. The programme launched in India is titled Indian Road Assessment Programme (IndiaRAP). FedEx has also made a commitment to invest USD 200 million globally, including India. Central focus: India accounts for one of the highest road accidents globally. Every year, 1.5 lakh people are killed while 3 lakh are crippled in 5 lakh accident IndiaRAP aims to address the highest-risk roads around the country in partnership with national and state agencies. The programme will provide policy, performance tracking and investment tools for the government to measure and manage road safety infrastructure and optimise investments across the country. Article link: Click here PSLV to be built by domestic industry by 2020 Part of: Mains GS Paper III - Indigenization of technology and developing new technology, Space Technology. Key pointers: ISRO is preparing to hand over the entire range of launch vehicle, including the PSLV and the GSLV, manufacture to domestic industry by 2020. It will give a push to industry for production of end ­to ­end systems. Ultimately, we hope to see industry make the transition from vendors supplying parts, to partners providing integrated systems. ISRO already has a partnership with private industry to produce satellites. ISRO had a partnership with about 500 domestic indus­tries for the supply of various com­ponents and devices. Article link: Click here India and France Part of: Main GS Paper II – International Relations, India and the World, Security issues Key areas: decided to strengthen counter-terror cooperation, and asked the international community to oppose countries which are financing, sheltering and providing safe havens to terrorists. decided to strengthen cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) discussed concrete measures to expedite operations at the Jaitapur nuclear power project. Other areas - International Solar Alliance Ahmedabad: India’s first heritage city Ahmedabad - 600-year-old enclave was named India’s first ‘World Heritage City’ in July Ahmedabad hosts the towering Bhadra fort, the legendary stone latticework of the 16th-century Sidi Saiyyed mosque, and countless relics fusing the unique Hindu and Muslim architectural styles of its conquerors. Concerns: It lacks a convincing plan for protecting its ancient citadels, mosques and tombs. It faces task of defending its new UNESCO status chronic air pollution, crushing traffic and chaotic urban sprawl - are rapidly eroding its cultural capital UNESCO might revoke or downgrade Ahmedabad’s listing to “heritage in danger” if Ahmedabad fails to show it has slowed the decline and destruction of the old city. MUST READ The Superbugs of the Hyderabad The Hindu Such a long legacy The Hindu Beyond Pikkety The Hindu New winds in Saudi Arabia Indian Express Indira Gandhi to Modi Indian Express  

Nov 18, 2017 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : SC Verdict on Triple Talaq

SC Verdict on Triple Talaq ARCHIVES Search 22nd August 2017 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes The SC has declared practice of instant triple talaq as unconstitutional. It has been India for centuries amongst muslims. As a result of this practice, thousands of muslim women have been facing difficulties and it was on their petition that SC has given the verdict. The majority of the judgement has legally struck it down. Validity of pronouncement- The Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 recognizes the law of sharia- muslim personal law. The law says that law of shariat has legal sanction. Because of that, triple talaq also had legal sanction. As it has legal sanctions, it cannot be arbitrary. Also, since this law is within the meaning of article 13, it can be dealt by courts. It can be tested on the touchstone of constitutional principle and provisions. The entire practice is arbitrary and violative of art 14 of constitution. The whole of shariat is subject to the constitutional test. And it will be evaluated on the constitutional parameters. When it comes to personal law, art 25 will come in. This judgement has shown that shariat is thought to be sometimes equivalent to Quranic injunction. However, sharia is a codification in light of Quran and hence it is subject to various interpretation. Sharia laws are not Quranic law in essence. They can vary in interpretations and there are various schools. The judges have said that once the Quran says its sinful, it cannot be permissible under Islamic law. Despite that it has been in practice for centuries because it has suited the male dominated society and nobody would challenge it. Issues to be considered further The instant form of triple talaq is declared unconstitutional. But many issues such as polygamy, halala, and maintenance has not been touched. These issues are complex, to study them, to have all their consequences. It is not easy to deal with all the issues by one constitution bench. Misogyny is prevalent for centuries in every society or religion. But then it shouldn’t mean it should continue and patriarchal mindest should remain. How it is going to impact muslim women? A muslim male in a mental state of anger or instability can just pronounce talaq and get out of marriage. It was actually a question of human rights which was not exactly dealt with. Hence, the human rights of women had to be protected. It will have psychological effect on muslim women. This law has been there because of male dominated society. Now the women can be assured that the constitutional law can come to their rescue. SC said "triple talaq violates fundamental right of Muslim women as it irrevocably ends marriage". Hence, the court has told this practice as retrograde and unworthy of protection. Something that is not Quranically accepted, it cannot be also legally accepted. Introduction of UCC should be considered? India has to go towards UCC which the founding fathers asked to do. There should be a society where religion is a personal matter and it cannot affect to other human being. No other person should be affected by the religion. This is the meaning of secularism. A large number of countries in world have laws related to marriage and property which are uniform. The consequences of marriage or divorce should be same for everybody. Thus, the entire debate about personal laws and various types of personal laws of various religious groups in India have to be considered under UCC. UCC will face resistance from all religions. It is not that only muslims are resisting it. There are income tax laws for HUF in Hindus, there are separate laws for Christians. Different laws have created more problems, litigation and complexity rather than solving it. If there is simple law on property and inheritance for everybody in country, how is it going to affect anybody’s religious freedom or belief should be clarified. Just for the sake of few vested interests, the larger mass has to be benefited from the uniformity of laws in marriage, divorce and inheritance. Also read: https://iasbaba.com/2017/09/rstv-big-picture-sc-ruling-triple-talaq-implications/ https://iasbaba.com/2017/08/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-23rd-aug-2017/ Connecting the dots: Women rights are increasingly creating space in male dominated society. Identify areas which speak of women’s fight for their rights and analyse it.

Nov 18, 2017 MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Stubble Burning

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Stubble Burning 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)

Nov 17, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus]- 17th November 2017

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 17th November 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC:General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections Tackling Inequality through Gender and Region-based Reservations Introduction: A report released by Credit Suisse revealed that the richest 1% Indians owned 53% of the country’s wealth, while the share of the top 10% was 76.30%.  In other words, 90% of India owns less than a quarter of the country’s wealth. The main theme of World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meet 2017 which took place in Washington, DC during October month focused on tackling inequality. IMF 2017 Annual Meet Main Theme: “Fiscal Monitor, Tackling Inequality” The Fiscal Monitor observed that inclusive growth is receiving attention because of rising inequalities and slowing economic growth. Tackling Inequality is important as excessive inequality can erode “social cohesion, lead to political polarization, and ultimately lower economic growth”. IMF Fiscal Monitor also observed that inequality of opportunity is higher in emerging countries and recommended that effective public policy, especially on education, can help address this inequality which can lead to enhancing human capital and productivity. India’s position: India is characterised by high inequality – due to diversity in income, language, religion, culture and social status. Nearly one third of youth (especially of under-privileged classes) are unemployed and are not engaged in training or learning institutions. The literacy rate in India remains lower than most emerging economies. Inequality in access to education is large. In 2015, nearly 60 per cent of employers had reported difficulties in recruitment because of talent shortages and nearly half of our skilled youth are unemployable. There is also a need to do more to integrate North-East with the rest of India. In the North-Eastern States, unemployment, and poverty rates are generally higher than that of All-India. These unemployed youth are most vulnerable to drug abuse, as in Punjab, and other anti-social activities within the country. Illustratively, the incidence of stone pelting in Kashmir for payment of Rs. 500 per day as was widely reported in media, is a clear example of unemployed youth being vulnerable to exploitation by vested interests. Tackling inequality by expanding reservations: To provide equality of status and opportunity in education and employment, the principle of reservation was adopted so that the underprivileged classes could come at par with so-called privileged classes. India’s affirmative action policy has largely been confined and practised in the government sector, including jobs, and public education institutions. Indian government now considers expanding reservation to other social parameters, for instance – expanding reservation based on gender and region-based. Gender-based reservation: The participation of women in economic and formal workforce has been rather low. Nepal has 80 per cent of women are in the formal workforce while in India only 31 per cent are in the economic workforce. In emerging economies, as well as advanced countries, female participation is significantly higher than that of India. There are empirical studies, including those from the multilateral institutions like the IMF, demonstrating that female participation enhances economic growth. Also, following principles of Gandhiji, it would be useful to consider having more women through gender-based reservations in educational and vocational institutions, and in work places. Region-based reservation: In order to usher prosperity and achieve better integration with rest of country, the Union Government had mooted the idea of Second Green Revolution in North-East. However, the policy of reservation can be effectively used to achieve objectives such as – education, employment and to tackle inequality in North East. The government through University Grants Commission has launched special schemes like Ishan Uday and Ishan Vikas to encourage undergraduate students. Components of Ishan Uday and Ishan Vikas: Visit of Class IX and Class XI students to 22 premier institutes [IITs, National Institutes of Techonology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs)] Summer Internship for Engineering College students of the North-East for a duration of seven weeks at the Premier Institutes like IITs, NITs and IISERs. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has approved release of Rs. 605.45 lakhs from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to IIT, Guwahati under the Ishan Vikas programme. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has launched “Ishan Uday” a Special Scholarship Scheme for North East Region (NER) from academic session 2014-15. Under the scheme ten thousand fresh scholarships are to be provided for general degree course, technical and professional courses including medical and para-medical courses. Also, the Government has been making numerous efforts in spreading quality education in different states by opening institutions of excellence like All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, Indian Institutes of Technology and Indian Institutes of Management. Conclusion: It looks more prudent now to consider and expand such ‘Gender and Region-based reservations’ along with ‘Caste-based reservation’ not only in areas of education but others such as employment. In a diverse country like India, to begin with, the government could consider such reservations in employment in government educational institutions and public sector enterprises. Annual reports of government institutions could publish a diversity index where region-wise employment status could be provided along with traditional caste-based reservation status. This adequate diversity of both language and culture, could help in achieving one and new India as in the case of the Naga, Assam or Madras regiments in the Indian Army. The lack of opportunity to different citizens of India, which prides in diversity, could also be stifling economic growth. Therefore, the increase in gender and regional diversity in workforce will achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, as well as equitable distribution of progress and income. Connecting the dots: Reservation is an affirmative action taken by the Government to cater to the needs of the backward classes. However, there is a need to compliment Caste-based reservations with Gender and Region-based reservations for tackling inequality effectively. Elucidate. Critically examine the need for expanding reservations to effectively tackle inequality, enhance human capital and productivity. HEALTH/NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health Antimicrobial Resistance: On rise In news: Antibiotic awareness week is being observed globally. Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a global threat and developing countries like India are at the epicentre of this problem.  The emergence of drug resistant pathogens happens when bacteria adapt to the presence of low dose antibiotics. Public health at risk: AMR poses big challenges to treating common infectious diseases, resulting in prolonged infection, disability and death. Without effective antimicrobials, to check and treat infections, medical procedures such as organ transplantation, chemotherapy, diabetes management and major surgeries become high-risk affairs. This situation becomes a public health issue but it also threatens to undermine the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. How grave is the situation? The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) AMR surveillance network recently reported that resistance to the broad-spectrum antibiotics was more than 70 per cent in case of various bacteria. All classes of antibiotics have been reported for resistance in at least some of the pathogens they have been intended to treat. The emergence and spread of resistance mechanisms to last-resort antibiotics is a major threat for infection control and treatment worldwide. Main sources of AMR: Pharmaceutical industry effluents: In India, effluents generated from pharmaceutical industries are treated as per the pharmaceutical wastewater discharge guidelines prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board. The current standards do not include antibiotic residues, and they are not monitored in the pharmaceutical industry effluents. No consensus guidelines on the antibiotic residue discharge limits in industrial waste globally. The existing framework under the WHO (2016) is restricted to drug safety and does not include environmental safeguards. Discharge of untreated urban waste: The uncontrolled discharge of untreated urban waste is another major source for AMR. Large proportions of the wastewater from hospitals, communities and urban runoff is discharged untreated or partially treated into rivers, lakes and seas. Veterinary source: Antibiotic consumption in animal food. The misuse of antibiotics in poultry, livestock and fish to treat and prevent infections is very common. National Action Plan: In India, a national action plan, meant to deal with the issue of AMR, focuses on six priority areas — Awareness and understanding through education. Communication and training. Strengthening knowledge and evidence through surveillance. Infection prevention and control. Optimised antimicrobial use in health, animals and food. AMR-related research and innovation and strengthened leadership and commitment at international, and national. It highlights the need for the integrated approach in multiple sectors such as human health, animal husbandry, agriculture and environment to overcome the AMR issues. Global action plan (GAP) on AMR, 2015: It was developed by the WHO, the Food and Agricultural Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health. Way forward: The issue of substandard drugs must be dealt with by enforcing tighter regulations. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has set standards for antibiotic residues in food products of animal origin. Improving the implementation of existing regulations around antibiotic use in poultry, livestock and fisheries will help in reducing unnecessary use of antibiotics in veterinary sector. A global standard must be developed on limits of antibiotic residue in industrial discharge. Conclusion: AMR threatens to undo the gains made by India in the control of infectious diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, HIV and other infections. Addressing the issue is the need of the hour. Given the complex nature of the problem, no individual nation has the capacity to address this problem independently and thus a global cooperation is required. Connecting the dots: Antimicrobial resistance in India is only rising despite the National Action Plan, for tackling the same, in place. In this light discuss what more needs to be done in India and the need of global cooperation. Further reading: New Rules on Antibiotic Resistance by WHO  PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS National Anti-Profiteering Authority Part of: Main GS Paper III - Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment The Union Cabinet recently approved the creation of the National Anti­-profiteering Authority (NAA). Key PT Pointers: NAA, the apex body is­ mandated to ensure that the benefits of the reduction in GST rates on goods or ser­vices are passed on to the ul­timate consumers by way of a reduction in prices. The authority has been granted wide ­ranging powers, includ­ing to cancel the registration of offending firms in extreme cases. Central focus: According to the rules, if the NAA confirms that there is a need to apply anti­prof­iteering measures- It can order the sup­ plier to reduce its prices or return the undue benefit availed by it along with in­terest to the recipient of the goods or services. If above can’t be done, then the company can be ordered to deposit the amount in the Consumer Welfare Fund. Article link: Click here International Conference on SDGs held in India  Part of: Main GS Paper III - Environment and Ecology, Pollution, Health Issue Key PT pointer: The first major international conference on the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be organised in India, was held in Mysuru. Keynotes: Values of sustainable living must be imbibed at a young age if planet Earth had to be saved. By 2070 the world will be 70% urban, and therefore, the future of the world was one with the future of cities. Goal 11 of the SDGs pertained to sustainable cities. The challenge facing us now is that the “do-how” or ways of adopting change is lacking. The youth of today are going to be the force to make the change possible. Article link: Click here Al-Qaeda's vernacular push Part of: Main GS Paper III - Internal Security Key pointers: Al-Qaeda has launched its first organised campaign to use the Internet to recruit support across India. In the Indian Subcontinent it has begun online distribution of Tamil, Bengali and Hindi translations of key jihadists. The organisation’s vernacular push reflects the increasing reliance of the jihadist movement on recruits from states in the southern, western and eastern regions. The organisation appears to want to use the online world to raise its image, as the Islamic State did. Article link : Click here Universal Health Coverage definition  Part of: Main GS Paper II - Social issue, Welfare and Health WHO’s definition of UHC: One of the goals of sustainable development the definition includes- Financial risk protection (against medical expenses). Access to quality essential health care services. Access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. In 2011, a high-level expert committee, was formed by the erstwhile Planning Commission. It submitted its report on UHC but nothing much came of it. TB elimination in India: Steps being taken India has adopted the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Elimination 2017-25. TB kills an estimated 480,000 Indians every year and more than 1,400 every day. India is spending $3 billion of domestic funds towards TB elimination. The three pillars of TB elimination are Aadhaar, Jan Dhan Yojana and Nikshay, a web-based platform for notification and tracking of TB patients. Commercial serological tests for TB has been banned and every district is being provided with a GenExpert machine (for TB detection). 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