Aug 7, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 7th Aug, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 7th Aug 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. Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes Scraping the No-Detention Policy In news: The Union Cabinet has recently decided to scrap the no-detention policy at the elementary level, and introduce detention of students who fail a designated test in Class 5 or 6, Issue with India's elementary education: India’s elementary education system may be getting better at providing access to greater numbers of children, but has never really been able to answer the question, what is the measure of its success? In spite of policy improvements, it has to contend with a significant dropout rate. In 2015, that figure stood at about 5% at the primary level and over 17% at the secondary level, with government schools affected more. The decision is fraught with the danger of going back to a regime of early dropouts. Such a move can only feed the pool of cheap child labour that has been the notorious record of the school education system, and facilitate the newly liberalised norms of allowing child labour under the guise of family enterprises. When the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act became law in 2010, it appeared to be a bulwark against the various ills that prevent continued schooling of all children up to the secondary level. What is No-Detention Policy? It is the policy to promote students automatically to higher classes every year till Class VIII. It was instituted to check the high number of dropouts, especially among the socially and economically disadvantaged sections. Objections against the NDP policy: 25 states raised objections against the NDP, citing it as a reason for high failure and drop-outs in Classes IX and X. The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) has also thrown its weight behind the naysayers. Issues with the decision of scraping NDP: The government has not undertaken a serious analysis of what went wrong, and why. The policy was never meant to be a standalone measure. A number of educationists have argued that the NDP was wrongly interpreted to create an environment in which the significance of evaluating a school-goer’s learning outcome was undermined. Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), that aimed to assess the child’s understanding of what was being taught in class at periodic intervals, proved to be a non-starter in many, if not most, schools. The already overloaded teachers were not given adequate training to undertake this reform. They had no idea of what was to be evaluated, and how. In several schools, CCE was reduced to “project work”, which parents resented. The RTE’s provisions regarding the upgrading of school infrastructure and increase in the teacher-student ratio — that would have created an enabling environment for the NDP — were not implemented. According to the District Information System for Education — a database developed by the National University for Educational Planning and Administration, Delhi — less than 10 per cent of the schools in the country are fully compliant with the RTE’s requirements on infrastructure and teacher availability. In fact, about 8 per cent primary schools have just one teacher. The RTE demanded creative solutions. NDP and CCE, for example, required sharper policy focus on the already fraught issue of teacher training. Way forward: Policymakers and education experts should have had continuous engagements with teachers to clarify the concepts of CCE and NDP to them. As it jettisons them now, the government needs to ask itself: Will detaining children whose academic results are poor improve learning outcomes and arrest the drop-out rate in schools There is now a substantial body of scholarly work that throws light on the ways in which the examination system stresses students and skews the field in favour of the privileged who can afford teaching aids outside the school. The move to scrap the NDP will make the RTE’s goal of inclusive education a very difficult one. The government should rethink the move — and create enabling conditions for the no-detention policy to succeed. The guarantee of uninterrupted schooling that the Act provides under sections 16 and 30(1) is founded on the no-detention policy until Class 8. This is a protection that should not be trifled with to compensate for the overall failure to improve the school education system, beginning with the neglect of teacher education, bad recruitment policies, and confusion over what the goals of schooling are. The provision for continuous and comprehensive evaluation should be developed scientifically. Raising the quality of classroom teaching, continuous monitoring of teacher attendance and introduction of free vocational and industrial skills training for all those with such an aptitude after elementary schooling should be the priority. Transferring the onus of performance in a narrow testing framework to children, many of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds, can only produce a less literate citizenry. A more open and liberal approach to schooling will have good long-term outcomes. Connecting the dots: The Union cabinet has recently decided to scrap the no-detention policy. Discuss what necessitated this step and its implications. The government’s decision to scrap the no-detention policy (NDP) will weaken the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, substantially. Discuss NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3 Infrastructure: Energy Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Draft National Energy Policy (DNEP) In news: NITI Aayog’s Draft National Energy Policy (DNEP) was finally and unveiled in June 2017. It has some ambitious objectives, such as universal access to electricity on a 24/7 basis and clean cooking fuel for all, and some excellent recommendations to promote renewables and tackle energy poverty. Recommendations in the draft report: The report has emphasized the importance of pegging India’s energy policy on the following three essential verities: India’s per capita energy consumption may be a fraction of the per capita energy consumption of the developed world and, indeed also that of China, but it will be among the most severely impacted by global warming. It should demand “differentiated responsibility” from the international community in managing and mitigating the existential risk arising from this development. But, in parallel, it must push its economy on to a low carbon growth trajectory. India's energy policy must, in consequence, focus on increasing the share of renewables (solar, wind, bio) in the energy basket and on greening fossil fuels (oil and coal). India must leverage technology and innovation to render renewables affordable and accessible. The DNEP presents two scenarios, business-as-usual (BAU) and Ambitious. According to the DNEP, renewables and clean energy will meet only 8.9% of commercial energy needs in the BAU scenario in 2040 and 13.4% under the Ambitious scenario. Annual energy growth rates for these two cases are between 3.4% and 4.2%. One of the objectives of DNEP is to banish energy poverty. One recommended strategy to achieve this goal is to launch the National Mission on Clean Cooking Fuels. This will enable 40% of rural residents, who are currently dependent on biomass, to have access to LPG, electricity, improved stoves, etc, by 2022. The energy share of cooking fuels is projected to drop from 23% in 2012 to 3.4% in 2040 as a result of replacing biomass fuels with cleaner fuels. DNEP has also stressed the urgent need for trained manpower for energy sector along with recommendations. Issues with the report: While it encapsulates well the problems and the solutions, it ducks the modus operandi for implementation. It does not define roles, responsibilities and accountabilities. It does not provide a timeline for delivery and there is no discussion on financing. The “something for everybody” narrative dilutes the centrality of the green message. The report’s vision for 2040 calls for affordable energy, high per capita electricity consumption, access to clean cooking energy, low emissions, security of supply and universal coverage. There is a clean energy thread running through these components. But its recommendation for the policy interventions required to achieve this vision is a patchwork of clean and not-so-clean initiatives. That is, managing energy consumption, energy efficiency, production and distribution of coal, electricity generation, transmission and distribution, supply of oil/gas, refining and distribution of oil, and installation, generation and distribution of renewables. Niti Aayog’s DNEP has assumed that India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth will be 8% per year during the plan period with an energy growth/GDP growth coefficient of 0.43 to 0.53. It would be remarkable if we can achieve such a high GDP growth rate with a relatively low energy growth as projected by DNEP. The energy/GDP coefficient for developed and some developing countries was close to 1.00 or sometimes more than 1.00 when they were at India’s level of development. The four key objectives driving the DNEP are: banish energy poverty by providing energy at an affordable price; improve energy security and independence; greater sustainability; and economic growth. No attempt has been made in the report to optimise decision-making while selecting different sources of energy based on multiple criteria like the four mentioned here. Most of these recommendations are old. It would have been more useful and productive if the DNEP had selected and concentrated on a few critical ones. It is easy to give a laundry list of suggestions but much more difficult to highlight critical ones. It is a well-known fact that a large percentage of the energy sector subsidy is diverted and misused. This results in the generation of a huge amount of black money. While the DNEP does mention problems of governance, it does not elaborate on such an important issue. The DNEP also discusses electric vehicles only in passing. It does not discuss the possibility of India halting the production of vehicles with internal combustion engines, say by 2030, and transiting to EVs by 2040. In contrast, several countries, such as Norway, France, Holland, and Germany, have declared their intention to stop the sale of petrol and diesel cars over the next 10–20 years (Chrisafis and Vaughn 2017). An important strategy discussed to reduce oil consumption is to promote a greater use of public transportation and the railways. This strategy has been highlighted ever since the first oil crisis in 1973. But the railways and public transportation have been losing their market share, resulting in increasing oil consumption. The DNEP should have provided a road map to achieve this very important strategy learning from past experience. However, the most disappointing aspect of the DNEP is its handling of the gas sector. It suggests that India should try hard to construct the Iran–Pakistan–India (IPI) and Turkmenistan–Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) gas pipelines, promote LNG imports, incentivise shale and conventional gas exploration, replace LPG in urban areas by piped gas and divert LPG to rural areas. All these are great suggestions, but most have been made earlier. Way forward: A separate system be created to enable the development and distribution of cleaner fuels and that policy interventions be directed to slowly but inexorably enhance the importance of the latter to the diminishing significance of the former. There is no discussion on the institutions of implementation of the policy. There is currently no institutional platform for mediating the complex of vested interests and stakeholders engaged with different aspects of the energy sector. There is a misalignment between the horizontally structured, siloed central ministries and the vertically layered division of responsibilities between the central, state and municipal governments. This is the main reason why it is difficult to translate policy into action. Take, for example, shale oil. To harness these resources, the central Ministry of Petroleum will need to bring the central ministries of water, chemicals and environment, their counterpart state government departments and the landholders around the same table. Niti Aayog should supplement their current report with a second document that will offer suggestions for the creation of such a mechanism and an institutional design that will clarify lines of accountability and authority and balance the needs of development, politics and sustainability. Conclusion: It is now for the executive to put actionable flesh around the recommendations mentioned in Draft NEP. As the government’s think tank, Niti Aayog wishes to make a difference, it should extend its mandate unilaterally and map each of its policy recommendations against existing institutions of governance, and where there are mismatches or misalignment, offer suggestions for plugging the institutional lacunae. Otherwise, we would miss a golden opportunity to prepare India for the transition from the fossil fuel era to one of renewables. Connecting the dots: Recently the NITI Aayog released a Draft National Energy Policy. Discuss its recommendations. It is said that the policy falls short of plugging the institutional lacunae. Analyze. MUST READ Private power public apathy The Hindu A supplemental income The Hindu An immoral subsidy Indian Express Doklam standoff the Chinese embrace Indian Express Fairness and dignity in livelihoods Livemint India's villages for want of road Livemint America's anti-Iran posturing Livemint Privacy is sacrosanct Business Line More heat than light in immigration debate Business Line

Aug 7, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 20]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 20] Archives Q.1) Article 235 is concerned with Control over Sub-ordinate Courts Contingency Fund of India National Commission for the SC, & ST Pardoning powers of President Q.2) Government of India is committed for speedy resolution of commercial disputes and to make India an international hub of Arbitration and a Centre of robust ADR mechanism catering to international and domestic arbitration. To give an impetus to this endeavour, the Department of Legal Affairs constituted a ten Member, High Level Committee under the Chairmanship of Ratan Watal B.N. Srikrishna J.J. Irani Bibek Debroy Q.3) Which of the following stocks is included in Bharat -22? BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd) Axis Bank (through Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India) ONGC Ltd (Oil and Natural Gas Corp) All of the above Q.4) Guatemala is bordered by Belize Honduras EL Salvador Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.5) India’s first private sector missile sub-systems manufacturing facility is located in Hyderabad Bhopal Nagpur Pune Download The Solutions - Click here All The Best IASbaba

Aug 7, 2017 Motivational Articles

MOTIVATION: What is More Powerful than Your Self-Doubt?

Dear Aspirants, Have you ever ever in your life experienced self-doubt? What happens at that moment? Do you feel happy? Do you feel sad? Hurt? Tired? Exasperated? What kind of thoughts do you encounter – positive or negative? We are sure that you do know how powerful one’s self-doubt can be. How it kills one’s zeal to succeed. How it affects your road to success. Self-doubt is your worst enemy at this point! It holds you back from doing the right thing, from seizing the right opportunities, makes it harder for you to start or even finish that portion from your polity notes.   Self-doubt is greedy, my dear aspirant. It strips you off your logic and reason, steals the hard earned confidence from your head and leaves you with fear and insecurity. Many times aspirants wonder, “What is the secret mantra to clear CSE?” “What is the one thing that I can do to clear and get a top rank in this exam?” We all know the answer – Kill Your Self-Doubt! At this juncture, when you have decided to attempt the CSE and have been sweating behind books, lamp, notes and questions, why do you even have to leave an empty space for the self-doubt to creep in? Haven’t you been strong enough to let go off the small pleasures of life for the career that you aspire? If you have, then why compromise? Devote completely to the task at hand than worrying with negative thoughts that is a form of self-doubt. Success, happiness and fulfilment are dependent on just one thing – how we think. Now is not the time to live in self-doubt and be paranoid about success or failure. Ease yourself out by taking out words like “I can’t,” or, “I don’t know,” or, “What if,” from your dictionary. Instead of telling yourself, “I can’t do A,” say, “I can’t do A yet. But I’m working on it.” Stop listening to people who only have negative things to say. Let your red flag go up every time you hear yourself or another person being hopeless. Instead, surround yourself with people who have the will to take risks, are ready to work hard towards things they are passionate about. Be your own best friend. Remind yourself of the little and big achievements in your life. Focus on them and derive affirmative energy from them. Do not let yourself suffer in times of need just as you would not let your loved one suffer. Be kind. Give yourself a chance to try again. Your doubts are only thoughts, not your future. Your self-doubt is just a demon that will keep coming back. But it is time to take things in your own hand and get better with dealing with it. Fight it. Abolish it. So, stop kicking yourself in the butt – God did not design us to be able to do it. If you do not believe me, try for yourself dear aspirant. Let us know if you could do that. :P ;-)   Your friend, philosopher and guide - IASbaba :) 

Aug 7, 2017 AIR

All India Radio (AIR): Union Home Minister’s Anti Naxal Strategy Meeting

Union Home Minister’s Anti Naxal Strategy Meeting ARCHIVES Search 8th May 2017 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 3 Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security. Linkages between development and spread of extremism. General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. In news: A national anti-naxal strategy meet was held by the Union Home Minister. It included of chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Also, secretaries of the central ministries, chief secretaries and director generals of the respective state police of the LWE-affected states along with the union ministers in charge of Ministries of MoRTH (Ministry of road transport and highways), Railways, Civil Aviation, MoRD (Ministry of rural development), Power, New and Renewable Energy and Telecom were present. Need for the meet In March and April alone, two big attacks had been done in Sukma where CRPF lost 37 men. After demonetization, the government thought that the backbone of naxalism had been broken. But there were two back-to-back attacks which inflicted heavy loss of lives of the soldiers. This shows the lack of proper policy approach by state government, central government, technical feasibility of forces dealing with them, utilization of ground and electronic devices in the operations. When Union Home Minister visited to pay last respect to the martyrs, there it was decided to bring in the meeting. Picture credit (Till Year 2015): http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-462-WpIQ4o0/VhO_Y23cKrI/AAAAAAAAAd8/_81U0zuOmNs/s1600/untitled.jpg The proposed strategy For the naxal affected states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, there is need of short term, medium term and long term policies need to be formulated at different levels and it lies in the SAMADHAN strategy. It involves Smart leadership Aggressive strategy Motivation and training Actionable intelligence Dashboard-based KPIs (key performance indicators) and KRAs (key result areas) Harnessing technology Action plan for each theatre No access to financing Apart from this, there is need of good leadership for the security forces, especially the need for unified coordination and command. Limitations Lack of utilization of technologies which are available at Chhatisgarh and Raipur in use for anti-naxal operation and green hunt. These equipment can automatically be used by NTRO and the governments concerned in all the operations by the state for gaining intelligence on day to day basis which is not being done at all. All the naxal affected states have no inter-state coordination. There are problems in bordering areas of all the affected states- Odisha-Chhattisgarh, Andhra-Odisha, Bihar-Jharkhand, and Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh. These are the areas where naxals do an attack and ambush and immediately escape through the jungles to other states where other states’ police doesn’t know about their locations and planning. There was a vision to develop the sukma belt and the bastar belt. In fact there was the order to construct the road in the fastest times possible. But that involves clearing the area to hold it. While clearing the area, it is known that Naxalites do not want development in sukma and create problems in it. Collection of intelligence is a parameter of state government concerned. How to collect intelligence, use of satellites, drones, NTRO is not used optimally thereby creating challenges in transforming the naxal areas into development oriented areas. Identified critical areas Local intelligence Use of latest technology in dealing with guerrilla warfare or jungle warfare. The terrain is extremely treacherous, heavily forested and the local population knows the lay of land, much better than outside forces. In such a situation, more than the technological aid, the use of local intelligence and help can be of more usefulness. Optimum utilisation of technology. India has drones and UAFs of Israel and USA to gather tactical intelligence over naxal areas in Chhatisgarh and Odisha. The National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) which has based in Raipur for two years for operating the UAVs. There are various helicopters on call for helibound operations. The problem is how to utilize them in operations. The terrain is very difficult as far as government troops are concerned excluding the trained troops of state police. The CRPF being a central organization is not well aware of the geography. Here they can us drones to find out their challenges ahead. So when they are in operation, they can come to know the intelligence and location of Naxalites. But there is information supplied in real time which creates further challenges. State leadership The pivotal thing in the fight against naxalism is that the concerned state should take the responsibility and duty of any operations undertaken. It is should not be by the central paramilitary forces to go there for operations but mainly in aid to the state government force. The state government has to come forward like Andhra Pradesh which has ousted all naxals. The state government should remain in command of all the forces of whatever unified command stationed over there in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, bihar. The union minister must impress upon political leadership of the respective states that their own law and order enforcement agencies- police, Indian Reserve Battlaiion, state special IRB must own up the anti-naxal operations and strategy. What next? While the political direction is clear from Home minister’s side and CM’s side, somehow the civil administration and state police are not taking up the challenge with the kind of spirit required to deal with such forces. In sukma belt, the lack of state government participation in tackling the situation seriously is hampering the cleaning up of area. After the clearance of the area by security forces, there is a need to hold the ground for the development to take place. It can happen when the civil administration comes into place. Thus, it is a coordinated affair of the district authorities and police to act to act together with adjacent states and their districts. The state concerned should have coordination with air force, BSF, ITBP, CRPF and NTRO and go fully offensive in bastar, sukma to remove the Naxalites stopping the development. The bosses of the civil administration and police were also present. The top officials have to take back the message from this meeting and implement on the ground. The offensiveness and the spirit to fight against the naxal should continue. Connecting the dots: Internal security challenge is more vital to country’s integrity than external challenges. Critically analyse the above statement. Development is the best anti-naxal policy. How much truth do these words hold while dealing with naxals? Examine

Aug 5, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 5th Aug, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 5th Aug 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 1 Social empowerment General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes Framing an anti-lynching law Background: India has seen a spate of lynching lately. A recent survey found that 28 people were killed in 63 such incidents in between 2010 to 2017. Issues: An overwhelming 97% of these attacks took place after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government came to power in May 2014. About 86% of those killed were Muslims. In 21% of the cases, the police filed cases against the victims/survivors. Cow-related lynchings rose sharply in 2017, with 20 attacks in the first six months. This marks a 75% increase over 2016, which had been the worst year for mob lynchings since 2010. Campaign for law: The groundswell of public disgust at the lynchings crystallised under the banner of the National Campaign Against Mob Lynching (NCAML), which has initiated a campaign for a law against mob lynching. Also known as ‘Masuka’, short for Manav Suraksha Kanoon (law to protect humans), a draft of the proposed legislation is currently up on the Internet, awaiting suggestions from the public. Draft law: The NCAML’s draft Protection from Lynching Act, 2017 defines the terms ‘lynching’, ‘mob’ and ‘victim’ of mob lynching. It makes lynching a non-bailable offence, criminalises dereliction of duty by a policeman, criminalises incitement on social media, and stipulates that adequate compensation be paid, within a definite time frame, to victims and survivors. It also guarantees a speedy trial and witness protection. Benefits of such a law: It will fill a void in our criminal jurisprudence. At present there is no law that criminalises mob killings. The Indian Penal Code has provisions for unlawful assembly, rioting, and murder but nothing that takes cognisance of a group of people coming together to kill (a lynch mob). It is possible, under Section 223 (a) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), to prosecute together two or more people accused of the same offence committed in the course of the “same transaction”. But the provision falls far short of an adequate legal framework for prosecuting lynch mobs. The apprehensions: 1) The potential for abuse: The provisions empowering local law enforcement officials to take pre-emptive action could easily be invoked to criminalise peaceful public assembly, especially if the gathering is of workers or members of marginalised communities agitating for their rights. For instance, the police could use this law to detain a group of labourers planning a dharna, on the grounds that they constitute a mob that poses a threat to company officials. The ‘Review Committee’ that would monitor the prosecution of cases under this law is supposed to be headed by a senior police officer. In a scenario where the police often serve as the handmaiden of the ruling dispensation, it is not realistic to expect one member of the police force to hold another accountable. 2) The underlying premise that a generic anti-lynching law could address India’s lynching problem. A major reason for the recent rise in lynchings is impunity. It can be reasonably assumed that the lynch mobs that murdered Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri, Pehlu Khan in Alwar, and Hafiz Junaid in Haryana were confident of getting away with it. So far, the state has done little to shake that confidence. This confidence has little to do with legislative lacuna. Rather, it has everything to do with the law enforcement machinery taking the side of the lynch mob. Put simply, the problem is not mob lynching per se but the mob lynching of minorities, for that is where impunity kicks in. We can be certain that if a mob of factory workers were to lynch someone from the management, retribution would be swift. Example is of the lynching of Maruti Suzuki’s HR manager in July 2012. The police arrested 148 workers and charged all them with murder. Evidently, the state can act, if it wishes to, using the existing provisions of the law. It is a matter of whether it is in its interests to do so. Targeting communal lynching rather than lynchings: Lynching is actually a minority issue; the majority needs to take it up. A truly ‘civil’ society should feel no hesitation in demanding that the state protect its minorities because protection of minorities is one of the biggest responsibilities of any democracy. We already have laws to combat the impunity enjoyed by anti-minority lynch mobs. The first is the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011, or the Anti-Communal Violence Bill. The Anti-Communal Violence Bill was buried because it was felt that it threatened the autonomy of States by mooting a parallel structure that undermined federalism. Way ahead: It fixes command responsibility for communal incidents. It needs to recognise that targeted communal violence disproportionately victimises minorities. It needs to create a mechanism to insulate investigations of communal violence from political interference. Police reforms are vital, and a purely legislative approach to tackling anti-minority violence could prove ineffective. The police reforms are pending despite the Supreme Court ordering their implementation. Conclusion: The draft anti-lynching law needs to be revised to incorporate these key elements of the Anti-Communal Violence Bill. Second, the demand for an anti-lynching law needs to be buttressed by a parallel campaign for police reforms. All said and done, even the best of laws can achieve little in the face of a law enforcement machinery primed to do the bidding of its political masters. Connecting the dots: A draft anti-lynching law has been proposed. Discuss the need of such a law and apprehensions associated with the provisions of the draft law. Further also analyze how making law would not be enough, an effective enforcement machinery is the need of the hour. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Disaster and disaster management. Shifting focus from flood protection to flood governance In news: Although floods are an annual natural occurrence, there is nothing natural about the official response to flooding of the Brahmaputra River in Assam. This year, the official death toll has risen to 77 and around 12 lakh people have been displaced. Given the extent of the devastation caused by a natural disaster that is exacerbated by human interventions, it is time we accept that the focus must shift from flood protection to flood governance. Background: The vast stretch of alluvial plains from Maharajganj in eastern Uttar Pradesh to Karimganj in Assam’s Barak Valley has been frequently affected by multiple water hazards. This is a densely populated area stretching across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam. These four states account for 17% of India’s geographical area, but disproportionately account for 43%–52% of all flood-prone areas of the country. Although the recurrent floods are a natural phenomenon, they are also an outcome of anthropocentric interventions. It is natural that the high precipitation in the Himalayas—the catchment of most of the tributaries of the Ganga and Brahmaputra—coupled with the sudden fall in altitude results in a large volume of water gushing down river channels from the Eastern Himalayas into the floodplains. This water exceeds the carrying capacity of the river channels resulting in a spillover into adjoining areas. With increased deforestation in the Eastern Himalayas, the surface run-off has increased at the cost of infiltration leading to tons of sediment being deposited on the riverbed as the river reaches the plains. This further reduces the carrying capacity of the river and enhances the risk of flooding. The plan to build large dams in upstream areas, largely in Arunachal Pradesh, is likely to exacerbate this process. Issue with embankments: Historically, embankments have been the gold standard for flood protection but there are various issue associated with them- Embankments were constructed to create a “safe” area for habitation and they provide these in areas where the embankments are new. But in areas like North Bihar and Assam, where there has been a fairly long history of embankments, the situation is complicated. Large populations continue to stay inside the embankment, that is, outside the “safe” areas, at the mercy of the imminent flood. Unfortunately, people located in the “safe” area also live in constant fear of embankment breach. Their fear is not completely unfounded—the floods in Assam this year and the Kosi River flood of 2008 were outcomes of embankment breach. Furthermore, people living inside the embankment face the risk of flash floods. The latter is due to a gradual increase in water level, while the former, as was seen in Uttarakhand in 2013, occurs when there is sudden high discharge from a reservoir into the river channel. Embankments are cost-intensive structural interventions and they have failed to achieve their full potential. Focus on structural interventions- Is an issue: The government’s response to floods has been focused on massive structural interventions like dams, dredging of rivers, and porcupine structures to combat erosion. Empirical experience shows that dams often get silted quickly, more so in the Eastern Himalayas. To save the dam, water has to be released downstream, tending to cause flooding. This pheno­menon has happened year after year, in various districts in lower and upper Assam. Bamboo porcupines, structural interventions that arrest riverbank erosion, have often been found to be of substandard quality and tend to get washed away. Way ahead: The floods in Assam, or for that matter Bihar must be tackled by a combination of structural interventions, institutional reforms, and comprehensive initiatives to build resilience in the riverine population. Flood protection to flood governance: What is required is an important normative shift that sees floods as a natural phenomenon, and a change in the discourse from flood protection to flood governance. Flood protection necessarily starts and ends with structural intervention and provision of relief. Flood governance would require the innovative combination of initiatives undertaken at various levels. It is important to conduct “strategic environment assessment” of all development activities in the ecologically pristine locations of the Eastern Himalayas and aim for river basin management. This might include some structural interventions. At the institutional level, strengthening the moribund Brahmaputra Board in Assam, and staffing it with scientists from a broad range of disciplines is essential. The most important shift would be to plan a comprehensive initiative to build resilience within the riverine population through an integrated set of interventions which should be based on three pillars: reducing vulnerability, enhancing access to developmental services that flood-prone populations are deprived of, and creating conditions that enable the optimal use of people’s resources. Connecting the dots: With recurrent floods in Assam leading to death tolls and displacement being high and our failure in controlling them it is time we move from flood protection to flood governance. MUST READ Editing ourselves The Hindu Wages of being a legislator The Hindu Punishing the victims The Hindu Price of rapacity The Hindu Leadership on Doklam Indian Express Add science to taste Indian Express A house for Mr. Naidu Indian Express The road on Doklam remains rocky Business Line A electric shock to Europe Business Line  

Aug 5, 2017 RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : Are Privacy Concerns over Aadhar Valid?

Are Privacy Concerns over Aadhar Valid? Archives 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 Background The question on the validity of Aadhar scheme on the question of whether privacy was fundamental right was referred to the Constitution bench in 2015. It was claimed by some petitioners that Right to Privacy was breached by Aadhar Act. A 5-judge bench including the CJI said that it is essential to decide whether there is right to privacy under Indian constitution and thus formed a 9 judge constitution bench to decide on whether ‘right to privacy’ is a fundamental right. However, SC observed while hearing the petitions that right to privacy was not absolute. This case is being revisited after 55 years when 8-judge bench in 1954 and 6-judge bench in 1962 had ruled that privacy is not a basic right for citizens. Government Stand- The centre said that right to privacy is not in constitution and is not part of right to life under art 21. Petitioners’ argument- right to privacy is inherent in constitution. Concerns with Aadhar Act What data need to be secure (the Aadhar number, demographic information or biometrics), whether data stored is secure (such as the encryption standards or the probability of hacking) and consequences of data breaches. Privacy concern from the ‘personal integrity’ point of view- private information is available for people or institutions with whom there is no intention to share. Biometrics information is collected which can be misused. Easy harvesting of biometrics traits and publicly-available Aadhar numbers increase the risk of banking fraud. What is privacy? Privacy is being interpreted in different, equally valid, ways by different sets of people. For instance, for a computer scientists, privacy means from a narrow ‘data security’ perspective, whereas the lawyers in the Courts have been highlighting the civil liberties angle to it Is right to privacy valid? When government is arguing with reference to previous judgements, two things: these judgements are 6 decades old these judgements were on the issue of surveillance. Privacy issue was arisen when the constitution was being drafted. Dr. Ambedkar suggested that privacy should be included as fundamental rights but the proposition was dropped. This position was held by 8 bench judges of SC. This was brought into picture as at that time, US had brought in 4th amendment for privacy as a FR. Also, data protection was discussed in constituent assembly in basic needs of those times, and it was observed that although it shouldn’t be a fundamental right, but there should be statute protecting data. It would be duty of parliament to provide and enact the statute for data protection and stringent penalty for any misadventure in that area. In these 6 decades, there have been lot of technological development and in the new era, right to privacy has to be determined. This whole debate is required to decide if right to privacy which is there, is a fundamental right or not. Once it is fundamental right, it is liable to get remedy under Art 32 and Art 226. Right to life is there as per IT act, IPC and other provisions. The question is how to protect that life, what are the provisions for protection, what are provisions if data breach is there, what are provisions for compensation? Some of the basic issues regarding Aadhar is that the government as the custodian of Aadhar data must be responsible and accountable. What is the area of focus? The key focus is whether right to privacy is a fundamental right or not. Law being a dynamic field, evolving with time, circumstances change, times change and there is a concern among people at large that is Aadhar a tool for mass surveillance. A key is entered and government has all the data. Targeted surveillance is good for national security and public order. But having mass surveillance by government in name of security or any other objective is not desirable. Some questions bothering citizens are why should government know how much money is there in the bank accounts. Also, Passport and PAN card already there for identification purpose, so need for Aadhar as a wholesome identification tool might be difficult to comprehend in some situations. Importance of privacy Aadhar is not a totally regressive step. People have directly received benefits in bank accounts and come forward as a tool to deliver services without services of middlemen. Government has been able to save Rs. 48000 crore on that account. There are fictitious bank accounts in name of one person, one person is issued several PAN cards, rich people are transferring money through shell companies and doing tax evasions. All this can be arrested only by linking Aadhar to PAN card TIN number. But with this advantage, the identity of other citizens cannot be put at risk through unsecured data. The data confidentiality and data protection laws have to be very strong. Privacy is not only about individual privacy. Issue of data protection is extremely important not from individual standpoint but also lot of breaches happening in financial sector through foreign elements. Government has power but there must be protection to the citizen. Government has not been effective in enacting two laws- Privacy as recommended by law commission under Justice Shah Data protection And SC has also failed to address this issue in past 3 years. So, issue of privacy needs a look after more than 50 years when last visited by. Conclusion Aadhar is not one single solution to all problems. It could be one of the tools to address larger issues. Also by having Aadhar card, it doesn’t bestow one with citizenship. So, the use of one institution should be limited to the boundaries where there is possibility of best work possible. Initiatives should have ample safeguards and ample precautions and address the concerns of the citizens. Art 21 has lent itself to crafting of the times today. Right to reputation has been considered as a basic part of right to life. Then Right to Privacy, which comes to first degree of closeness with oneself, it has to be protected. Connecting the dots: What is the connection between Aadhar and right to privacy? Does Aadhar becoming a money bill impacts upon person’s private life? Examine the issue with suitable references. Should right to privacy become a fundamental right? Critically analyse. What are the privacy rights of its citizens? Are they protected equally, with the same justice for the rich and the poor alike? Discuss.  

Aug 5, 2017 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Sense Control – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Sense Control: We are all driven by the desire to satisfy our senses. Most of the time our pain and suffering is simply caused by unrestrained senses. What we see, hear, feel, smell and taste through our senses govern our desires and actions. Understanding our senses and learning to control them helps one to remain balanced and undistracted. When our senses are not in check and are allowed to get distracted by unwanted desires, it becomes extremely difficult to focus to accomplish a particular task. The single biggest obstacle one faces while accomplishing something is the constant drifting of the mind towards unwanted desires. In reality there is absolutely no obstacle to accomplish any task. It is almost like actions are governed by the same laws of science. If we begin a certain task and give it enough momentum to keep it going, it will continue to go in the same direction till its completion, unless compelled by an external force!. The external force in this case is another desire. If only you can learn how to control your other desires and keep your mind focussed on the task at hand, it will always get completed. Trying to do too many things at the same time and trying to juggle between too many things leaves all actions incomplete. Especially when it is so easy to get distracted. Ask anybody who has tried to accomplish anything really important, they will tell you that the difficult is never the task at hand. The difficulty almost always is learning how to not get distracted by the desire to do too many things. The mind almost never likes to keep doing the same thing. By its very nature the mind wants to pick up different things to do. Only sense control will keep the mind in check. So what is this sense control? It is the art of observing the senses while they are in action and learning to control their desires. Let us take an example of watching a movie. Movies are made just to captivate your senses. All the effort of movie making is to grab your senses and keep them hooked to the screen. When you start practicing sense control, you will be able to observe how you are being drawn into the movie. Similarly the desires to eat, to talk to friends, to travel, to socialize, to rest, and to do so many other things distracts one from focussing. If you observe those who have been successful, they almost always have a tunnel vision towards what they want to achieve. They are able to control their senses and desires so well that they can put in a lot more time to focus and achieve what they want to achieve. It is almost impossible for an impulsive, distracted mind to accomplish anything. The best of behaviors is the one accompanied by sense control and balance. Once you are able to go beyond the strong pull of your senses and desires, it becomes infinitely easy to pick a task and see to its completion. The more control you have over your senses, the more control you have over your life. The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.  

Aug 4, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 4th Aug, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 4th Aug 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 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. General Studies 3 Government Budgeting. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Doing away with LPG subsidy In news: The government has informed Parliament about its decision to completely do away with the subsidy offered to cooking gas used for household purposes. In an order issued in May this year, public sector oil companies were authorised to incrementally hike the “effective price” of LPG cylinders until the entire subsidy is wiped off by March next year. Previously, in July last year, the oil companies were given the green signal to increase the effective price of subsidised cylinders by Rs. 2 a month. So the latest order to increase the effective price by Rs. 4 a month, but with the clearly stated aim of eventually doing away with subsidies completely, signifies a more aggressive pursuit of the policy of cutting the fuel subsidy.   What prompted this step? The move to “rationalise” the subsidy could have been prompted by the fall in global oil prices. With global oil prices falling appreciably after January 2014, a non-subsidised LPG cylinder today costs two-thirds of what it used to four years ago. In the latest Union budget, the government allocated about Rs. 25,000 crores towards oil subsidy, which is a fourth of the total oil subsidy bill (of almost Rs. 1 lakh crore) incurred in fiscal year 2013. Pros: The cut in subsidy would further strengthen fiscal discipline. The implementation of the direct transfer of cash benefits in the last few years has already helped in the better targeting of subsidies to the poor, thus substantially reducing wasteful spending. The fall in oil prices over the same period may have led the government to believe that this may be the right time to withdraw the cooking gas subsidy without causing too much pain to consumers. Cons: It is estimated that about 18 crore people, many of them below the poverty line, depend on subsidised gas cylinders. It would therefore be difficult to argue that a complete abolition of subsidy will not adversely affect them. An LPG subsidy assists the poor in ensuring that this clean cooking fuel remains within the budget of many poor households, thereby keeping them healthy and saving on time spent on collecting wood. The subsidy was in many ways an investment into public health. The concern is that this will impact marginal households and keep many households trapped in biomass use for daily cooking – which has no place in a modern economy. While this move will have a positive impact on the government budget, it is likely to have a detrimental impact on the transition to modern fuels in rural India, and on the health of the citizens. After all, what has not changed is rural India’s reliance on biomass for cooking. The poor continue to use it – and suffer from the air pollution caused by it. In India, 4 to 5 lakh people die of household air pollution every year – largely due to improper ventilation combined with the use of biomass fuels for cooking and lighting. Even today, a majority of rural households continue to use biomass (such as wood and cow dung) as the primary cooking fuel. The burning of these fuels emits pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, particulate matter, benzene, and metals including lead and copper. The use of dirty biomass fuels for cooking has several detrimental impacts on human health by either directly causing or aggravating acute and chronic diseases. For instance, pollution from such fuels contribute to 12% of still births in the country. The National Family Health Survey (2005-06) also revealed significant increases in child morbidity due to poor household air quality. The objective of LPG subsidy is that if provided across the country at lower rates, households will increasingly prefer this clean fuel to the more polluting alternatives. Way ahead: An obvious solution to health problems and equality issues is the use of cleaner fuels to cook, and the provision of electricity for lighting. The latter is taking place at a steady pace. To tackle the former, the government introduced the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in 2016 to promote the use of LPG for cooking. LPG is a fossil fuel, but it burns significantly cleanly with no production of soot. LPG connections to households have steadily and significantly increased over the past few years. However, having an LPG connection is one thing, while actual continued usage for cooking is quite another. The foremost aim should be to sustainably lower the price of cooking gas once and for all, getting the government out of the business of managing subsidies. In the long run, this is the only way to ease the burden on consumers and also free the budget from the pressure of international oil prices. Deregulating the market for cooking gas, thus opening it up to more widespread market competition, would also help. But in the long run, the government should continue to shield cooking gas customers, especially the poor, from the volatility of international oil prices. There is a gender angle too, as household air pollution leads to a range of diseases among women, who are the primary cooks in most Indian households. Over 2.4 million cases of chronic bronchitis, 0.3 million cases of TB, 5 million cases of cataract and various adverse pregnancy outcomes among Indian women are attributable to household air pollution due to the use of biomass as a cooking fuel. Conclusion: While framing policy, therefore, the government would do well to balance the demands of reducing the burden on the exchequer with the imperatives of environment protection and equity. For women in poor households, LPG means freedom from the drudgery of smoke and biomass. Its environmentally benign nature makes LPG a worthy candidate for subsidies, which the government must treat differently from other fossil fuels. Connecting the dots: The government has recently decided to do away with LPG subsidy. DIscuss the implications of this decision. Also analyze why a cautious approach should be adopted rather than right away removing the subsidy on LPG cylinders. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 1: Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues Social empowerment General studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, irrigation, agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers. Advancing right of women farmers Background: The stereotypical image of an Indian farmer is a mustachioed man, clad in a white dhoti with farming tools in hand. The reality is the Indian agricultural landscape is fast being feminised. Already, women constitute close to 65 per cent of all agricultural workers. An even greater share, 74 per cent of the rural workforce, is female. Issues: Despite their hard labour in the field, women are not officially counted as farmers, and are either labelled “agricultural labourers” or “cultivators”. This is because the government does not recognise as farmers those who do not have a claim to land under their name in official records. As many as 87 per cent of women do not own their land; only 12.7 per cent of them do. There are two primary reasons for the alarmingly low number: One, land being a state subject is not governed by the constitution under a uniform law that applies equally to all citizens but rather is governed by personal religious laws, which tend to discriminate against women when it comes to land inheritance. Second, the cultural aspect of the deep-rooted biases that hinder women’s ownership of land in patriarchal societies cannot be discounted. Solution: Providing women with access to secure land is key to incentivising the majority of India’s women farmers. This, coupled with the need to make investments to improve harvests, will result in increased productivity and improve household food security and nutrition. Present situation: Indian farmers, both men and women, face an uphill battle even leasing land. After abolishing the zamindari system, states moved to restrict tenancy as a protective measure guarding against tenant exploitation. However, since the 1950s, the tenancy situation has varied across the nation as land laws are enacted by the states. And yet, nearly 35 per cent of India’s agricultural land is cultivated by tenant farmers, who tend to be landless, poor and marginal. Ascertaining security of tenure for tenants: A necessary first step With security of tenure, female farmers should be provided with the three critical driving factors — the incentive, the security, as well as the opportunity — to invest in the land they harvest. Security of land tenure also presents advantages for landlords by removing the fear of losing their land ownership. The Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act: In March 2016, the NITI Aayog released the Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act, which seeks to legalise and liberalise land leasing with the interests of both the landlord and the tenant in mind. The Model Act could enable the real cultivators of land to be recognised as farmers and thus be entitled to obtain important inputs provided to farmers by the state. This has the potential to improve the productivity of farmer harvests, replacing unwilling cultivators with willing cultivators. Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have expressed interest in the Model Act, while some others like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are at an advanced stage of enacting their own land leasing laws based on the Model Act. Macro-Impacts: Numerous studies conducted worldwide have determined that women have a greater propensity to use their income for the needs of their households. Land-owning women’s offspring thus receive better nourishment and have better health indicators. Land-owning mothers also tend to invest in their children’s education. Ultimately, this is a win-win situation all around — for the farmer, her family and the larger ecosystem. The micro-level impacts: It will help wipe away debilitating feelings of insecurity and vulnerability for rural women. The chance of propertied women being physically abused is reduced from 49 per cent to 7 per cent due to an increase in the wife’s bargaining power. If female farmers are provided security of land tenure, they will be officially recognised as farmers and hence, will see their household bargaining power increase. Women farmers’ self-confidence and agency will slowly grow and expand outside just their household. Conclusion: Ensuring food security for its citizens and boosting women’s rights constitute goals two and five of the Sustainable Development Goals that our country committed to in 2015. Giving agency to women farmers is critical in realising these outcomes. Ultimately, women farmers are unstoppable if they can be helped to realise that they deserve better. And it all begins with creating a new image for the “Indian farmer”. Connecting the dots: India needs to provide adequate rights to women farmers and the starting has to be ensuring land rights to them. Discuss the need and multiple effects such a step would ensue in not only revolutionizing agricultural sector but also for the larger ecosystem. Also read: Women farmers in India needs attention MUST READ Is India a good neighbor The Hindu It's time to enact anti-lynching law The Hindu Restoring Parliament's primacy The Hindu The Iran question The Hindu Defenders of varna Indian Express Schools for scandal Indian Express Climate shifts are not limited to weather Business Line Privacy and protection Business Line Firing up our defence sector Business Line

Aug 4, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 19]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 19] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about NISAR It is indigenously being developed by ISRO It will be used to create two - or three-dimensional images of the landscapes Select the correct statement Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about "NavIC" It’s main objective is to provide Satellite-based Navigation services with accuracy and integrity required for civil aviation applications and to provide better Air Traffic Management over Indian Airspace It is based on the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2  Q.3) Which of the following was known in ancient times as ‘Constantinople’? Turkey Libya Istanbul Egypt Q.4) The management of Haj Pilgrimage comes under Ministry of Minority Affairs Ministry of Culture Ministry of External Affairs Ministry of Home Affairs Q.5) Which one of the following is a purpose of ‘UDAN’, a scheme of the Government? Regional connectivity scheme Financial inclusion Providing technical and financial assistance to start-up entrepreneurs in the field of renewable sources of energy Providing for financial turnaround and revival of power distribution companies Download The Solutions - Click here All The Best IASbaba

Aug 4, 2017 AIR

All India Radio (AIR): Roadmap for Dialogue in Kashmir

Roadmap for Dialogue in Kashmir ARCHIVES Search 29th April 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. General Studies 3 Linkages between development and spread of extremism. Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security. Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges In news: The central government in Supreme Court said that it was not willing to talk to separatists but only with recognised political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to resolve the crisis. The idea was to talk to representatives of people who are authorized to find a negotiated settlement and find a peaceful solution to situations prevailing in J&K. The stone pelting continued for an entire year recurring at various intervals. The SC directed the J&K HC Bar Association to ensure stopping of stone pelting and then it will direct the government to hold pellet gun fire. It also said to the centre that the court would involve itself in the matter only if there was a view that it can play a role and there was no jurisdictional issue. The whole thing looks complex in a way which began in 1990s. It is found that normally at the onset of summer and throughout the summer, there is a pattern of dislocating life, education, business and creating a situation of total abnormality in Kashmir, thereby provocating the citizens against the government. Background The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association against the High Court order seeking stay on the use of pellet guns as a large number of people had been killed or injured due to their use. SC rejected its plea by mentioning two points Peace has to be restored and the bar association has to guarantee it. It is to be done within Indian constitution parameters. Whatever flexibility is there, it has to be within the constitution. The formula still works? Insaniyat, Jhamooriyat and Kashmiryat is the famous phrase used by former PM Vajpayee to deal with people of Jammu and Kashmir. This signifies the doctrine of peace, prosperity and progress in J&K. Once again, this phrase has been reiterated by the present J&K government to solve the ongoing crisis. Two things have to be separated:- Violence and people perpetrating violence should be dealt with according to the law of land. Police action necessary and warranted will be left to local police administration depending on situation Talks with whom is the critical question- elected representatives to legislative assemblies and parliament. The Vajpayee formula was very successful which brought prosperity and peace in Jammu and Kashmir but the reciprocity expected from separatists were not as per expectations. This led to no visible success. This shows that there is no sincerity in negotiation. Agreements can come when there is a willingness on both the side to work out the details. Recent developments The two bye-elections held in J&K recently, witnessed lowest voting turn outs with one Bye-election even getting cancelled for not presence of the conducive environment for election. But it doesn’t mean that liberal democracy cannot take roots in Jammu and Kashmir. There were occasions where voting percentage were more in related situation of peace and free and fair elections have been acknowledged and reported by international press as well as observers in the past. Also recently, Union HM held a review meeting over the PM’s package of Rs. 80000 crore announced in 2015. It was said that 20% of it was already released. It iss multi-dimensional package aimed to address improving infrastructure, improving health, education and tourism and also included dealing with the flood management. Thus, Central government is on one hand is trying to deal with issues erupting in valley and is also looking for development that it looks for in larger vision of improvement of state. Simultaneously, the role of CM becomes crucial as the CM also in recent times not talked about development and rather concentrated more on issues regarding separatism. The separatists are emboldened by certain policies and utterances by certain leaders which need to be rectified and removed. If there is a need of policy to remove pellet guns as an option to fight against stone pelters, it has to be assured that no such stone pelting incidents happen further which demotivate the security personnel and peace keepers. There is a need to have a dialogue with these agitated stone pelters who have genuine concerns about deteriorating situation but simultaneously government also should keep tab on habitual stone pelters who have no interest apart from earning money out of it and creating disturbances in the area. Conclusion Gandhiji used to point out that there is a beauty of compromise. Compromise means certain amount of framework- framework of given and take and rejection of two rights. It is impossible for any government to accept the position that the J&K bar association is taking as it questions the map of India. Even at Vajpayee period, the flexibility shown by the government was conditioned as a fact that there was a genuine effort at reconciliation. But however it may, it is found that nothing has really been achieved. Thus, this issue requires to be solved politically, wherever concerned, there internally and bilaterally. Connecting the dots: Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the society yet there are varied opinions of the inhabitants over there. What are the issues concerning J&K which need urgent attention. Who are separatists in Jammu and Kashmir? Why does the central government permit their existence? Discuss