Nov 14, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 14th Nov 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 14th Nov 2017 Archives NATIONAL  TOPIC: General studies 2: Structure, organization and functioning of the Judiciary The institution of judiciary facing crisis of credibility: A conflict between Supreme Court judges In news: The Supreme Court of India is facing its worst crisis of credibility since the Emergency. What happened? An order was passed by Justice J Chelameswar to constitute a five-judge bench in a petition filed by CJAR. The conflict is over a plea by the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms that has sought the setting up of a SIT to probe the role of Orissa High Court judge Ishrat Masroor Quddusi in enabling private medical colleges to admit students to MBBS courses despite the Supreme Court barring the institutes from doing so. Quddusi, an Orissa High Court judge between 2004 and 2010, has been accused by the CBI of legally guiding the private medical colleges and assuring them of favourable settlement of their cases in the Supreme Court. Justice J Chelameswar constituted a bench and had heard the matter despite orders from the Chief Justice of India (CJI) that his bench cannot hear the matter. He said judges cannot assign matters to themselves. Issues: Can the chief justice be part of the hearing, since the scandal allegedly criminalises a judgment the CJI himself wrote? - As done by the Chief Justice. By setting himself up as a judge in his own cause and setting up a bench whose composition looks arbitrary, he has undermined the authority of the judiciary. Could a constitution bench be constituted bypassing the chief justice in violation of the current procedure through which such benches are constituted? Justice Chelameswar’s order setting up a five-judge bench also made the judiciary vulnerable. Surely, there were better ways of securing the removal of the chief justice from the case and setting up a bench in a way that did not depart from existing court procedure or humiliate the chief justice. A robust judicial consensus would have been built rather than judges projecting their own individual heroism. An analysis: It is the CJI’s prerogative, and his alone, to constitute a bench and to direct that a particular matter be heard by that or any other bench. The argument that Justice Chelameswar did so in order to prevent a conflict of interest is undermined by the ill-judged manner in which Justice Chelameswar sought to make his point. The distrust amongst judges, as evident in the ways benches are being constituted, seems extraordinarily high. Many have defended Justice Chelameswar’s move by invoking Article 142 that gives judges the power to do whatever it takes to secure justice. But the use of Article 142 has also become a sign of immense judicial indiscipline, where judges can overlook procedures. Other instances denting the authority of the Supreme Court: The quality of the court’s reasoning. The abdication of its constitutional role in some cases. Judicial overreach in some instances. Corruption within the judiciary- There are issues of corruption in the courts. The judiciary has failed to find a mechanism to deal with allegations of corruption within its ranks. Every justice in the court needs to be above suspicion. Challenges: Caution needs to be taken so that the anti-corruption measures taken do not undermine the independence of the judiciary. It has to be done in a way that does not make the judiciary vulnerable to implicit blackmail and leads to undermining its independence. Reforms that undermine independence in the name of accountability has to be avoided. At stake, now, is the reputation and credibility of an institution that has earned itself the title of India’s most trusted, a protector of citizens’ freedoms, an upholder of the constitutional poise. What is more, this public display of divisions within comes at a time when the court appears at its most vulnerable without. In the last three years or so, the independence of the judiciary has often seemed besieged in the face of a strong political executive that has sought to use the electoral mandate to subdue dissent and circumscribe other institutions, including in the crucial matter of the appointment of judges. The court’s loss of external credibility combined with internal anarchy does not bode well for Indian democracy. The court has itself become a reflection of the worst rot afflecting Indian institutions. The institutional crisis that the Supreme Court has now created will create the conditions under which it will be easier to legitimise diluting judicial independence. Way forward: At the CJI’s door lie two key questions: How to address potential conflict of interest issues and how to assert the primacy of his position in a manner that strengthens rather than divides the institution. Between a chief justice who does not recognise conflict of interest, and justices who think the only recourse is public grandstanding, the judiciary will not be able to survive. Conclusion: Judicial corruption is an important issue but the judiciary cannot address it by turning on itself. If its senior-most judges give the impression of using a case to settle issues with each other, the institution will only be prone to be attacked by the executive. Most of all, it will be failing in its duty to live up to the trust and faith that the people of India have come to vest in it. Connecting the d0ts: A conflict emerged amongst the senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. Discuss the issues associated with the conflict and how such instances hurt the credibility of the highest judiciary. NATIONAL TOPIC : General Studies 3: Infrastructure: Energy Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Power Sector reforms: Rationalizing coal cess Background: India is a power-starved country. With annual per capita consumption of about 1,100Kwh, India lags behind most of the other developing countries. In countries such as Iran and South Africa, this exceeds 2,500 and 4,000, respectively. The global average stands at around 2,500. There is sizeable power capacity in the country, yet there are large pockets of unmet power demand. Systemic and regulatory shortcomings have been responsible for this irony. Supply side issues: The average PLF (plant load factor) for coal-based power plants, which constitute about 60% of India’s total power generation capacity, continues to languish below 60%. What is PLF? It is a measure of the output of a power plant compared to the maximum output it could produce. A lower PLF indicates inefficiency in production and distribution and low-capacity utilization. Issue arising because of low PLF: Low-capacity utilization is causing extreme financial strain on the entire power value chain—right from the lenders to the power distribution companies, to the power users. Way forward: India’s power generation can grow comfortably at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 12% over the next five years—subject to demand. Improved utilization of existing power capacities. A healthy pipeline of new capacities. Demand side issues: Poor availability at the consumer end. Low affordability. Way forward: Strengthening Discoms’ power affordability can be a powerful way to enhance power consumption. Rationalising coal cess: Issue: The total taxes on thermal coal work out to more than 65%, on an average, over Coal India’s basic price. The GST compensatory cess (that has replaced the clean environment cess that existed before the GST roll-out) is about 40% of the average coal price. Total tax on the common grades of coal is more than 80%, which is higher than taxes on even alcohol, cigarette or luxury cars. Although optically these taxes and cess are applicable on coal miners and, hence, on power generators, ultimately, they are borne by end consumers across socio-economic segments, despite power being a basic necessity. Such a high rate is unfair, futile and self-defeating, given that coal usage cannot be stopped for the 195 gigawatts (GW) coal-based power capacity (plus the 50 GW in the pipeline) in India. The GST compensatory cess has been put in place after the implementation of GST to compensate state governments for the potential revenue shortfall from GST. This cess may seem like a good way to smoothen the issues in GST implementation. However, burdening an important sector like coal and power that is already suffering from many issues with such a steep tax seems unjustifiable. Way forward: Taxes on this part of power’s value chain need urgent rationalization. Removing the GST compensatory cess on coal can curb the cost of power. The tax revenue—about Rs 22,000 crore—that the Central government would forgo if this were to happen would effectively be transferred, in the shape of lower power cost, to discoms and thus to the state governments. So, the country’s total fiscal deficit math wouldn’t change much. The thrust on shutting down older, inefficient and highly polluting power plants should be intensified. Conclusion: Redressal of the flaw in our taxation system can be a game changer not just for the power sector, but for the entire economy, through the multiplier effect that it will result into. Reforming power sector can drive improvements in the standard of life for a large proportion of Indians and aid small and medium enterprises. Connecting the dots: Apart from demand and supply side issues in power sector, an unreasonable coal cess is hurting the sector and overall Indian economy. Critically analyze. MUST READ Loan waiver is not the solution The Hindu Eastern promise The Hindu On maternity benefits The Hindu A hazy policy Indian Express Not of the people Indian Express Moving towards a more effective GST Livemint Shining a spotlight on sexual harassment Livemint Air pollution, a public health emergency Business Line Clearing the clutter Business Line  

Nov 14, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 80]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 80] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about Clouded Leopard It is only found in Asia It is the state animal of Meghalaya Clouded leopard is the mascot for 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Consider the following statements about ‘Coriolis Force’ It is invisible force that appears to deflect the wind is the Coriolis force It is zero at the Equator Coriolis Effect cause storms in the north swing counter-clockwise Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.3) Consider the following statements about Kakatiya dynasty Sri Kasi Visweswara Temple belongs to the Kakatiya period Rudradeva II was the last ruler of the Kakatiya dynasty Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Global Financial Development Report is released by World Bank WEF WTO IMF Q.5) Vedic Literature deals with Music Mysticism Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution – Click here All The Best   IASbaba

Nov 13, 2017 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : PM Addresses District Collectors

PM Addresses District Collectors ARCHIVES Search 10th 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. Recently, PM reached out to collectors with a plan on theme of “New India – Manthan.” The plan asks the district collectors and district administrators to make list of priorities of things needed to be addressed by 2022. The citizen put lot of faith in DCs to deliver things across the spectrum of department. Many districts still lack basic services even when such schemes such as providing gas connection, providing electricity, providing irrigation support have been made simple to understand and more accessible. There is a communication gap which despite the advancement of technology in communication has happened. For instance, the BHIM app has not reached everyone in the country which provides an easy medium to digital transaction. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is not getting the momentum as message has not reached the last man. GST has been a beneficial policy yet people have not been convinced about the same. Thus, all the initiatives taken at the top if have actually come to the bottom is not known. For the population, going through various tiers of government is a tedious process. So now the collectors have been directly reached. In this mission mode plan, there is no top to bottom approach where a plan made at centre is implemented in state and district. Earlier the basic facilities were transport, electricity and water. Now they include education and health. The districts have to identify their problems and then formulate plan more suited to them. The collectors have to do manthan- brainstorm and prepare list of priorities applicable to their districts. Some district may be lagging behind in providing electricity and some in health. So a flexibility is given to them which will work through such diversities. When socio-economic conditions improve in the 100 most backward districts, it would give a big boost to the overall development parameters of the country. This puts an onus on the collectors of these districts to work in a mission mode. This opens the door to new ways of funding and also designing policy. India has had homogenous policy design. The collectors are asked to go into the field and talk about the scheme. Know what facilities are available to people and what should be done to have peoples need fulfilled. Interaction with colleagues, intellectuals of the district, and students of schools and colleges will help them prepare a vision document, or resolution document for their district. This process will be a like a relay race- one collector will pass on the work to other collector upon transfer where the main goal will be to fulfill the priorities of the districts and emerge as winners. Conclusion There has to be a culture change. Collectors need more autonomy than they have. In last two decades, there is a new system. Every district, the state government appoints district minister, guardian minister who is supposed to be the super collector of the district. The central government has not reached them as they belong to political parties, sometimes different and then there is tussle of power which doesn’t lead to materialization of good projects on ground. The central government has to coordinate with state governments to make sure the beneficial projects reach the last mile and last beneficiary they are intended for. Connecting the dots: The central government reached out to the district administrators for solving the basic issues. Analyse if democratic decentralization helps in achieving democratic values.

Nov 13, 2017 MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Indo-Pacific Quadrilateral

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Indo-Pacific Quadrilateral 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 13, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 13th Nov 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 13th Nov 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. Conflict between the Aadhaar-based Biometric Authentication and Public Distribution System Case study: In October 2017, the death of an 11-year-old Dalit child, Santoshi Kumari, of Jharkhand, was widely reported. She had been pleading with her mother to give her rice as she slipped into unconsciousness and lost her life. The government insists that she had malaria but in video testimonies, her mother, Koyli Devi, says she had no fever. According to the State Food Minister, their ration card was cancelled in July because they failed to seed it with Aadhaar. Target: For months, the Central government has been insisting on 100% Aadhaar “seeding” across schemes such as the PDS, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and pensions. What is seeding and why is it required? Seeding refers to the practice of entering Aadhaar numbers for each household member on the ration card. It is a pre-requisite for the Aadhaar-based Biometric Authentication (ABBA) system, the practice of using an electronic point of sale (PoS) machine to authenticate each transaction. The government has made seeding and the ABBA mandatory in the PDS. Seeding: An important barrier Issue: The seeding has been made mandatory resulting into various issues. In their zeal to achieve 100% Aadhaar-seeding targets, some field functionaries just deleted the names of those who did not submit Aadhaar details. Others waited till the deadline and then struck off names. The government claims that all of these were “fake”, detected due to Aadhaar, thus saving crores of rupees. Lack of awareness: Some people blame the aggrieved for failing to seed Aadhaar. But many of them are unaware of the seeding requirement. When pensions in Jharkhand suddenly stopped for many pensioners, they had no idea why. No one had told them about Aadhaar. In some cases, the middlemen had seeded it wrongly. Others still had tried repeatedly and failed. High biometric failure rates: The Finance Ministry’s latest Economic Survey, based on micro-studies, reports high biometric failure rates. In Rajasthan, government data for the past year show that around 70% of cardholders are able to use the system successfully. The rest have either been tripped up by one of the ABBA hurdles or, less likely, they did not attempt to buy PDS grain. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana it is used to disburse MGNREGA wages and pensions: biometric failure rates are between 8 and 14%. In some months, one in four pensioners returns empty-handed. Many families could not collect rations because of a biometric mismatch at the PDS shop. ABBA and corruption: The ABBA has not much role in reducing corruption. Quantity fraud is the practice of cheating on quantities sold. Neither seeding nor the ABBA can stop quantity fraud. In a survey in Jharkhand, dealers continue to swindle people by cutting up to a kg of their grain entitlement despite successful ABBA authentication. Identity fraud, for example in the form of duplicate ration cards, only requires Aadhaar-seeding; the ABBA is unnecessary. Two issues related to seeding are: it can be foolproof against identity fraud only in a universal system. More seriously, it raises privacy issues. Further, in Aadhaar’s rulebook for example, an elderly person asking a neighbour to fetch their grain would count as identity fraud. In fact, it is flexibility that is lost when the ABBA is made mandatory. Five meaningless hurdles: Thus, each month, people are being forced to cross five meaningless hurdles in order to have access to their ration. The hurdles are: Power supply. Functional PoS machine. Connectivity, State and Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) servers. Fingerprint authentication. Failing any one hurdle even once causes anxiety in subsequent months. The resultant anxiety defeats the very purpose of such forms of social support. Failure in consecutive months leads to people giving up entirely. They stop trying. Way forward: The ABBA should be withdrawn immediately from the PDS and pensions in favor of alternative technologies such as smart cards. This will allow us to take the advantage of offline PoS machines with smart card and get rid of the issues associated with Internet dependence and biometric authentication. Insisting on the ABBA will result into failure of PDS, which is a lifeline for the poor. Connecting the dots: Insisting on Aadhaar-based Biometric Authentication (ABBA) will result into failure of PDS, which is a lifeline for the poor. Critically analyze. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Tackling Pollution: Strengthening coordination among states Background: The air quality index for Delhi is in the region of 470-500, whereas anything greater than 300 is considered ‘hazardous’ and a reading below 50 considered ‘good. As temperatures dip during winters, pollutants hover around the surface of the city and do not waft upwards. Smoke from burning farm waste descends on the capital from surrounding states at this time. Government's failure to tackle the issue of straw burning: The Punjab government has not been able to abide by the National Green Tribunal’s order to implement a ban on burning paddy straw — nearly 20 million tonnes of it. The farmers are not at fault — they need to clear the land in quick time to prepare for the wheat crop, whereas the combine harvesters leave too tall a stubble of paddy straw for it to be manually removed, both expediently and cheaply. The technological solution — ‘the super straw management system’ which, when attached to a mechanical harvester, shreds the waste to small bits so that it need not be burnt and can instead be put to better uses such as biomass and ethanol and electricity production — has not worked out because of subsidy issues between the Centre and the States. Pollution and federalism: Every state blames the other resulting into weak policy response. This is an indication of an institutional vacuum to deal with public goods issues in a federal political system. The intervention should focus on the root of the problem—stubble burning, in this case. The distortion should be dealt with directly. We need to change the incentives for farmers who burn biomass. In the case of the smog in north India, it could mean that farmers should be paid to invest in better technologies to deal with the stubble left over from the previous harvest. A subsidy will change their incentives. The more practical solution is that the state governments of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana be considered the representative agencies for their respective citizens. They should negotiate on how the cost of changing farming practices will be shared. A first step will be to estimate the amount to be paid for every hectare of farmland that is shifted away from stubble burning. Global example: The New York City Watershed Agreement of 1997. New York had been asked by government regulators to build an expensive water filtration plant to improve the quality of water it supplied citizens. To reduce costs, the city negotiated with upstream farmers who were polluting the watershed area to either buy out their land or pay them to change farming methods. Challenge: The lack of an institutional structure to deal with such federal negotiations, especially when the three state governments are run by three different political parties. Way out: This is where the Union government needs to step in as a coordinating agency. It can also offer to bear half the fiscal costs of any green bargain between the three states. A better solution over the long term is to set up a federal agency like the Environmental Protection Agency in the US, with powers to get states to the bargaining table. The exact contours of such an agency will need to be debated by climate change scientists, economists, environmental activists and political parties. The current institutional vacuum needs to be filled. Tackling vehicular pollution: Buses, which can run both long distances in cities, as well as provide last-mile connectivity to and from metros and local railway stations. Reserved bus lanes are the most cost-efficient and egalitarian means of city transport, which penalise the polluters — cars and two-wheelers — and carry commuters comfortably and cleanly. Restricting the number of vehicles: The pollution caused by private vehicles, whether they are four- or two-wheelers, can be curbed by restricting their numbers, as Beijing and other Chinese cities have done successfully even as public transport is greatly increased. Global examples: Shanghai, for instance, has emulated Singapore’s example of setting a limit on the number of cars permitted on its roads. Singapore allows market forces to decide the price of such a license, which can exceed the cost of a car sometimes. Parking fees ought to be drastically increased, and payable even at night time. And, following London’s example, the proceeds should be ploughed back into bettering the bus service. Strengthening public transport: The solution for large cities is to ramp up public transport (Delhi’s bus fleet has actually been falling, and it needs land for bus depots) and encourage a shift away from cheap industrial fuel to solar, clean thermal power and natural gas. But the fight for better air quality cannot be successful without citizens exercising lifestyle choices to that end. Focusing on other cities too: North India continued to fare among the worst on the globe, with Gwalior second, Allahabad third, Patna sixth and Raipur seventh. While Delhi continues to get all the attention on this score, one should pay heed to children and senior citizens in these other beleaguered cities. These residents can’t afford air purifiers like many of the capital’s well-to-do and diplomats. Conclusion: The winter smog that chokes millions of people every year needs to be dealt with through a long-term institutional strategy rather than hasty administrative responses each time pollution level goes very high. Connecting the dots: The lack of an institutional structure to deal with federal negotiations, especially when the three state governments are run by three different political parties is a major challenge while dealing with air pollution in northern India. Discuss. Also read:  Air Pollution in Delhi: GRAP   MUST READ Contours of a counter-BRI The Hindu The AI battlefield The Hindu Delhi to Manila Indian Express Gujarat model for Madrasas Indian Express Ranking games and the woes of workers Business Line Needlessly demonising demonetisation Business Line

Nov 13, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 79]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 79] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about Aflatoxins They are carcinogenic They cause frameshift mutations They are sometimes found in beer Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Consider the following statements DNA methylation is a method for gene silencing through short RNAs. The process of RNA inactivation by siRNAs is termed as RNA disfunction. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Union Cabinet has recently approved creation of National Testing Agency (NTA).  Consider the following statements It will be registered as a society under the Indian Societies Registration Act It will conduct those entrance examinations which are currently being conducted by the CBSE Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) EcAMSat mission is associated with Jupiter Saturn Mars None of the above Q.5) Consider the following statements about Bonnet macaque This species occurs in peninsular India It is found only in evergreen and deciduous forest Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution – Click here All The Best   IASbaba

Nov 13, 2017 PIB

IASbaba PIB Weekly : Press Information Bureau – 6th Nov to 11th Nov, 2017

IASbaba Press Information Bureau 6th to 11th November, 2017  ARCHIVES GS-2 Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran App (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Coal India is addressing its customer needs in a big way and made ‘ease of doing business’ a major consumer commitment. The launching of the app is also one of the initiatives of CIL towards achieving the much cherished goal of ‘Digital India’ and transparency. Helps achieve transparency in despatch operations, as a tool to monitor, whether the despatches are made on the fair principle of ‘First in First Out’ and keeps track of all the activities from issuance of Sale Order to physical delivery of coal by road. Helps in logistics planning for lifting of coal in tune with the loading programmes The app provides date-wise, truck-wise quantity of coal delivered against the Sale Orders. SHe-Box Online Complaint Management System (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) To ensure the effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (the SH Act), 2013 A historic step since it is probably the first ever time that the government of any country has launched an online portal to receive complaints of sexual harassment at workplace Once a complaint is submitted to the portal, it will be directly sent to the ICC/LCC of the concerned employer. Through this portal, WCD as well as complainant can monitor the progress of inquiry conducted by the ICC/LCC. This is a proactive step taken by MWCD in the wake of the worldwide social media campaign #MeToo, where women have related their experience of facing sexual harassment and abuse. Link to the SHe-Box portal: http://shebox.nic.in/ Cabinet Approves – MoU between India and Philippines on agriculture and related fields: Will improve bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture and will be mutually beneficial to both countries. Will promote understanding of best agricultural practices in the two countries and will help in better productivity as well as improved global market access. Provides for cooperation in the fields of rice production and processing, multi cropping system, dryland farming systems, bio-organic farming, solid and water conservation and management, soil fertility, sericulture, agro forestry, livestock improvement etc Provides for constitution of Joint Working Group composed of equal number of representatives; The Joint Working Group shall meet once every two years alternatively in the Philippines and India. Agreement between India and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to taxes on income: Will stimulate flow of investment, technology and personnel from India to HKSAR & vice versa, prevent double taxation and provide for exchange of information between the two Contracting Parties. It will improve transparency in tax matters and will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance. Protocol amending the Agreement between India and Kyrgyz for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income Joint Interpretative Declaration between India and Colombia regarding the Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investments signed: would impart clarity to the interpretation of the existing Agreement as it includes interpretative notes to be jointly adopted for many clauses, including, the definition of investor, definition of investment, Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET), National Treatment (NT) and Most Favoured Nation (MFN) treatment, expropriation, Investor - State Dispute Settlement provision and Denial of Benefits. Appointment of Second National Judicial Pay Commission for Subordinate Judiciary in the country: Will examine the present structure of emoluments and conditions of service of Judicial Officers in the States and UTs The Commission aims to evolve the principles which would govern pay structure and other emoluments of Judicial Officers belonging to the Subordinate Judiciary of the country It will examine the work methods and work environment as also the variety of allowance and benefits in kind that are available to Judicial Officers in addition to pay and to suggest rationalization and simplification thereof. The Commission will devise its own procedures and formulate modalities necessary for accomplishing the task. The Commission also aims at making the pay scales and conditions of service of Judicial Officers uniform throughout the country. The recommendations of the Commission will help in promoting efficiency in Judicial Administration, optimizing the size of judiciary etc. and to remove anomalies created in implementation of earlier recommendations. Continuation and Restructuring of National Rural Drinking Water Programme: to make it outcome-based, competitive and better monitored with increased focus on sustainability (functionality) of schemes to ensure good quality service delivery to the rural population Creation of National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions: In view of the need to have a specialized body in India like the most advanced countries, the Finance Minister in the Budget speech of 2017-18 had announced setting up of a National Testing Agency (NTA) as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organization to conduct all entrance examinations for higher educational institutions. Utilisation of pulses from the buffer stock through Central Government Schemes having nutrition component: The objective of the approval is to enable the concerned administrative Ministries/Departments to ensure that pulses from the buffer are utilized as in 'kind' component of the Centre's contribution in such schemes, in lieu of its financial contribution of equivalent amount. India Signs Loan Agreement with World Bank for US$ 119 Million for “Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence and Equity (OHEPEE) Project (Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate) Objective of the project: To improve the quality of 'students’ equitable access to selected institutions and enhance governance of the higher education system in Odisha. Project Component: Result Areas are Improved quality of and students’ equitable access to selected institutions of higher education: Institutional Development Plan (IDP) Grants (performance –based Financing Enhanced governance of the higher education system: Improvement of governance in colleges & Improvement of financial and procurement management and accounting in all government and government-aided colleges. GS-3 Transportation Awards: (Topic: Infrastructure: Transportation) Best City Bus Services Award for succeeding in attracting 87% of the private vehicle and auto rickshaw users to use city buses – Surat Best Non-Motorised Transport – Mysuru for Public Bicycle Sharing Best Urban Transport Initiative Award for completing its Metro Rail Project in a quick time besides integrating the metro with other modes of transport – Kochi ‘Commendable Initiative Award’ under ‘Best Intelligent Transport Project’ category – H-TRIMS of Hyderabad, the Traffic Integraged Management initiative; enables automatic adjustment of signal timings based on traffic flows, pedestrian controlled signals and SMS based alerts to the citizens. This initiative brought down waiting time at traffic junctions by over 33%. ‘Commendable Initiative Award’ for the city police’s initiative for improving road safety – Chittor; Chittore police introduced ‘no helmet-no petrol’ policy for two wheelers COP23 climate change summit in Bonn: All you need to know about (Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation) UN Climate Change Conference 2017 Aims for Further, Faster Ambition Together The world’s nations are meeting for the 23rd annual “conference of the parties” (COP) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which aims to “prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”, ie halt global warming. Aim: launching nations towards the next level of ambition needed to tackle global warming and put the world on a safer and more prosperous development path; The Conference, coming just two years after the landmark adoption of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, will also further fuel momentum among cities, states, regions, territories, business and civil society in support of national climate action plans, the internationally-agreed temperature goal and the wider objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Will be presided over by Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama of Fiji — the first time that the small island nation will be at the helm of a major international climate conference Two critical and inter-linked areas of action: Governments working to increase climate action under the terms of the Paris Agreement and the UN Climate Change Convention Showcasing, fostering and launching new and expanding global climate action initiatives by all actors with a view towards better coordination that aligns efforts in more efficient, effective and transformative ways. Major Talk Points- The 2015 Paris accord set a target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. But diplomats didn't agree on the details of how their nations will reach that ambitious goal. The Bonn talks will flesh out the rule book that countries have to abide by. This includes coming up with international standards for how to measure carbon emissions, to make sure that one nation's efforts can be compare to another's. A second debate centers around how countries take stock of what's been achieved and set new, more ambitious goals for curbing carbon emissions after 2020. The third big issue concerns money. Experts agree that shifting economies away from fossil fuels and preparing countries for some of the inevitable consequences of climate change will require vast financial resources — including some from the US administration of President Donald Trump, which is doubtful about man-made climate change. Conference Going Green Germany is setting aside a part of the 117 million euro ($136.3 million) budget for a fleet of bicycles and electric buses to ferry people between venues. Each participant will receive a bottle to fill with tap water — a move that will save half a million plastic cups. Germany's environment ministry is also investing in renewable energy projects to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions caused by people from all over the world flying into Bonn for the talks. In its NDC, India had promised to Reduce its emissions intensity— greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP—by 33 to 35 per cent below 2005 levels by the year 2030 To ensure that at least 40 per cent of its energy in 2030 would be generated from non-fossil fuel sources, like solar, wind or bio-fuels Rapidly increase its forest cover so that an additional carbon sink equivalent to 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide is created by the year 2030 Policies and institutional mechanisms to advance India’s climate actions Though India’s per capita emissions are only one-third of global average, and its contribution to global stock of carbon dioxide is less than 3%, it has still moved ahead with implementation of path breaking initiatives Achieving about 58.3 GW of Renewable Energy Capacity out of a targeted 175 GW for 2022 Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for providing free LPG connections and Ujala for embracing energy efficient LED bulbs dedicated towards supporting citizens move towards sustainable lifestyle. The broad policy initiatives of the central government are supplemented by actions of the State Governments. 32 States and Union Territories have put in place the State Action Plan on Climate Change attempting to mainstream climate change concerns in their planning process. As part of our mission on strategic knowledge on climate change, we have established 8 Global Technology Watch Groups in the areas of Renewable Energy Technology, Advance Coal Technology, Enhanced Energy Efficiency, Green Forest, Sustainable Habitat, Water, Sustainable Agriculture and Manufacturing. India is one of the few countries where, despite ongoing development, forest and tree cover has increased transforming country’s forests into a net sink owing to national policies aimed at conservation and sustainable management of forests. A number of schemes for transformation and rejuvenation of urban areas have been launched including Smart Cities Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation. These schemes have integrated appropriate adaptation and mitigation measures for environment protection. Swachh Bharat Mission has been launched with aim to make India clean and litter free. Government has recently revised following waste management rules to make them more effective, efficient and stringent. Government has revised six waste management rules which are more effective, efficient and stringent. These include rules for solid waste, Plastic waste, E-waste, bio-Medical and Hazardous and Construction and Demolition Waste. Greening of India's extensive Railway routes and Highways is being undertaken. Air Quality Index launched in over 30 cities to provide real-time data of air pollution on daily basis. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana has been formulated with the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation and improving water use efficiency ‘More crop per drop'. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has been launched for farmers’ welfare. Another scheme has been launched to provide Soil Health Card to every farmer. Further Government of India has set up the goal is to double the income of the farmers by 2022. Second Phase of Science Express Climate Action Special train with the aim to create awareness among various sections of society, especially students, on the science of climate change, the observed and anticipated impacts, and different possible responses as to how climate change can be combated. Government has launched “Skill India” with the target to provide skill training in various sectors including sustainable development to about 400 million people by 2022. Zero Effect, Zero Defect is a policy initiative to enhance energy efficiency and resources efficiency in Medium & Small Industries. Another important initiative relating to rivers is the National Mission for Clean Ganga which seeks to rejuvenate the river along its length of more than 2,500 km. Digital India has been launched to transform India into digital empowered society and knowledge economy. Note: India has been ranked as the sixth most vulnerable country in the world in a fresh list of nations facing climate risk India’s theme for COP 23 – “Conserving Now, Preserving Future” Climate Risk Index (CRI): CRI is based on an analysis of the number of deaths (due to climatic conditions) per 100,000 inhabitants, extent of financial losses and loss per unit of GDP of countries. India was at number four last year in CRI ranking. Economic and population data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was taken into account while arriving at the rankings.   DRDO Conducts Successful Flight Trial of 'NIRBHAY' Sub-Sonic Cruise Missile (Topic: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology) India’s first indigenously designed and developed Long Range Sub-Sonic Cruise Missile which can be deployed from multiple platforms. The missile has the capability to loiter and cruise at 0.7 Mach, at altitudes as low as 100 m. The flight test achieved all the mission objectives completely from lift-off till the final splash, boosting the confidence of all scientists associated with the trial. The guidance, control and navigation system of the missile is configured around the indigenously designed Ring Laser Gyroscope (RLG) and MEMS based Inertial Navigation System (INS) along with GPS system. Please Note: Guru Ghasidas Jaitkham: At Girodhpuri in Chhattisgarh Guru Ghasidas was a remarkable social reformer among the dispersed community of this region almost 200 years ago. He struggled against social evils and injustice, and fought for the poor and downtrodden. His message was simple: that truth and noble conduct are synonyms for God. He made efforts to eliminate the practice of untouchability, and emphasised fraternity and social harmony. He also stressed women’s rights and supported widow marriage. ‘Paradise Papers’ [based upon expose done by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)] indicate that out of 180 countries represented in the data of offshore entities held by persons of different nationalities, India ranks 19th in terms of number of names. AstroSat, India’s multi-wavelength space telescope, has successfully accomplished the extremely difficult task of measuring X-ray polarisation. BharatNet – a flagship project of the Government of India to provide Broadband services in rural and remote areas Indian Boxer Mary Kom clinches the gold at the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships Chennai has been included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its rich musical tradition Blue Economy is a catalyst in India's progress: The major ports in India have recorded a growth of 3.27% during the period April to September, 2017 and together handled 383 Million Tonnes of cargo as against 371 Million Tonnes handled during the corresponding period of previous year. 1.5 MW Small Hydro Power Plant in Biaras Drass, Kargil (J&K) becomes first project to be commissioned under Prime Minister's Ladakh Renewable Energy Initiative Notable points from ‘India Disaster Response Summit’ – India needs to prepare itself for moving towards Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) from an approach of traditional Disaster Management. Disaster Mitigation Strategy should be areas of priority for addressing Disaster Risk Management. Reaching out to the people and communities is the primary responsibility of all stakeholders and efforts should be to make people aware, informed and to guide them during emergency situations. Community groups and stakeholders should find innovative ways to inform people on time in scenarios of Disaster Management. The efficacy of Disaster Management requires a well-defined guideline and the role of media is vital when disaster strikes and even in executing rescue and relief operations. Communities should come forward with new techniques of sharing information on real time basis for better handling of situation at disaster scenario. Technology can be leveraged in providing a quick response and information to people at time of need. Collaboration with various stakeholders including NGO’s and private players could provide the necessary base for response with a vision towards ‘Capacity Building’ to handle disaster risk situation for addressing emergency rescue situations. Government will act as facilitator towards information and communication among various stakeholders by helping evolve new modes of communication for better contact between the ‘Government and the People’. Social media affects everybody’s life and common sources of communication through social media have played a vital role in day-to-day information communication, which needs to be leveraged in proper direction. Efforts should be in the direction of better planning towards evolving technology in line with better communication tools for disaster response planning. Disaster Information Volunteers (DIV) programme is where a network of trained volunteers would provide supplementary information on disasters in their local communities to assist Government relief efforts through the Facebook Workplace platform. Facebook will now share its disaster maps, developed using aggregated, de-identified data, with NDMA. These maps can aid swift disaster response by providing real-time, actionable information.  

Nov 12, 2017 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Change Where it Matters – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Change - Where it Matters: You step out of your house at noon and decide to go on a short drive. You begin to drive and realize that the afternoon sun is glaring in your eyes, making it difficult to see. What will you do? Will you go on a campaign to protest against the sharp rays of the sun or will you open the dashboard of your car and put on a pair of shades. It is not enough to recognize what needs to be changed; you have to know where to make the change. If you pick the wrong place to make the change, it can take you years, even decades to solve a simple problem. Knowing where to make the change is probably more important than knowing what to change or how to change it. This is where most of you are simple going in circles in order to solve a problem. If you don’t address the individual who is at the center of all experiences, you are not addressing the problem at all. You can change the whole world, but if the problem is in you, all that change you make on the outside is simply useless. What happens to the world on a day when you are sick and suffering from some ailment? The whole world looks sick, dull and boring. Not because the world is that way, but because you are that way. At each and every moment of your life, the way you are experiencing the world is the only thing that matters. Any change you want to make to the world has to begin with you. Once a foolish king wanted to take a walk and tour his kingdom. The ministers advised the king that the streets are covered with stones and thorns, and it would make it very difficult for him to walk. The king thought about it for a while and ordered the entire kingdom to be carpeted before he takes the walk. A wise old man interrupted the king and said, ‘Why don’t you wrap that carpet around your leg, in that way you will have a carpet under your feet, wherever you go!’ The story of the king is the story of our foolish mind. Mind enjoys solving complex problems. In fact it enjoys it so much that it will create bigger problems just to solve them. Understanding this nature of the mind and identifying the root cause of our problems is the first step towards solving them. You are the center of all experiences. Every single experience has to pass through you before it becomes your reality. If you can make changes within you, the changes will reflect in everything you do. The change you make to your thoughts, desires, emotions and fears is the most important change you will ever make. This is the only place where a change will stick and become a part of your reality. If you paint your room with pretty colors, you can experience this change only as long as you are in your room. If you can paint your mind with pretty colors, you can see the change where ever you go. You cannot go anywhere without your mind, can you? Make changes where it matters, then you will see how easy it is to solve even the most complex problems of your life. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”

Nov 11, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 11th Nov 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 11th Nov 2017 Archives ECONOMY TOPIC:General Studies 3 Economic Development – Indian Economy and Issues relating to growth and development – Different indicators used to measure growth Social Progress Index: An index import for balanced development Is Gross Domestic Product (GDP) an adequate measure of a country’s development across many dimensions? The GDP calculation focusses exclusively on economic growth. Even while focusing on economic growth, it does not capture the level of inequity which can exist in a society despite overall economic growth. The inequity can in fact even be exacerbated by it. It pays no attention to the social and environmental measures of development which are as important as economic development. The most significant weakness of GDP is its exclusion of voluntary market transactions. GDP as a measure of economic growth fails to account for productive non-market activities, like a mother taking care of her child, a homemaker doing household chores, a homeowner doing maintenance of his house, leisure (paid vacation, holidays, leave time), improvement in product quality, etc. GDP also ignores important factors like environment, happiness, community, fairness and justice. Alternate measures and their limitations: Several alternative measures have been proposed to capture the social dimension of development, combined with or independent of economic indices. Gross National Happiness, which was introduced in the 1970s by the king of Bhutan, measures the happiness levels of the citizens in a country while it ignores other important elements like gender equality, quality education and good infrastructure. A World Happiness Report is now periodically published from the Columbia University which compares self-reported levels of happiness of people from different countries. A composite Wellness Index was proposed by noted economists Stiglitz, Sen and Fitoussi, for a measure of development that looks beyond GDP. A Global Multidimensional Poverty Index was developed at Oxford to gauge inequity within and across societies. GINI coefficient which was introduced in 1912 by Corrado Gini and adopted by World Bank, and measures the income inequality among a country’s citizens — fails to measure social benefits or interventions that reduce the gap or inequality between rich and poor. Human Development Index, devised and launched in 1990 by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq, is computed and published by the United Nations Development Programme and overcomes most of the shortcomings of the Gini coefficient and GNH. However, HDI, as a measure, falls short in its capture of the unequal distribution of wealth within the country and the level of infrastructural development. Many prospects of a healthy society, such as environmental sustainability and personal rights, are not included in HDI. The need of Social Progress Index: An index of social progress is needed which do not try to displace GDP but has additive value. Such an index can be used to remind political leaders that their vision must accommodate both economic and social progress as being important for a country, recognising, of course, that these two tracks are closely interlinked and sometimes inseparable. About SPI: The SPI was launched in 2013 and is based on 52 indicators of countries’ social and environmental performance. It includes no economic indicators and measures outcomes. it has been created by a group of academics and institutions constituting the Social Progress Imperative (www.socialprogressimperative.org). This index has three major domains: 1) Basic Human Needs. 2) Foundations of Wellbeing. 3) Opportunity. Each of these has several clusters of specific indicators (as shown below). Pic credit: https://www.slideshare.net/socprog/20130411-skoll-world-forum-panel-final Pros of SPI: The index offers a new tool to explore the complex two-way relationship between economic and social progress. It provides a metric for comparison of countries, and States within a country. The SPI indicators can serve as a checklist to monitor our progress over time in each of the important areas of human welfare. State level: The study (2005-2016) helps analyze whether States, especially using social and environmental indicators, are heading in the right direction. It is also essential to help adjust policies as well as public and private investments. States can be ranked using social and environmental indicators on the basis of: Their capability to provide for basic needs such as shelter, water, and sanitation. A foundation for well-being with education, health, and communication facilities. Analysing the prejudices that prevail in a region prohibiting people from making their personal decisions; and Evaluating whether citizens have personal rights and freedom or whether they are susceptible to child labour, human trafficking, corruption, etc. Major findings of the Social Progress report, 2017: The overall social progress score for the country now stands at 57.03 (on a 0-100 scale), approximately eight points higher than in 2005. The country performs better in the provision of basic human needs rather than opportunities for its citizens. Therefore, creation of a society with equal opportunities for all still remains an elusive dream. The scores for opportunity have increased over the years followed by smaller, but important improvements in the areas of basic human needs and foundations of well-being. All the States have climbed the social progress ladder, with the group of States that had the worst performance in 2005 — Tripura, Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Bihar — now showing improvement. This suggests that States with a relatively low level of social progress can improve rapidly. The greatest improvements have been in areas where social progress most often accompanies economic prosperity. On the other hand, areas where performance has declined or stagnated is where the correlation with economic development is weak. For instance, “Access to Information & Communication and Inclusion” depicts a strong relationship with per capita GDP and are the ones that have improved the most over the years. And “Health and Wellness & Environmental Quality”, that are least correlated with economic development, have eroded. One significant difference between GDP and SPI is that SPI focusses on outcomes rather than inputs that are used in GDP. For example, the quality of life and longevity are measured instead of spending on health care, and people’s experience of discrimination is looked at instead of focussing on whether there is a law against discrimination. SPI also reframes the fundamentals about development by taking into consideration not just GDP but also inclusive, sustainable growth that will lead to a significant improvement in people’s lives. SPI can best be described as a complementary index to GDP and can be used along with GDP to achieve social progress. Policies need to target social issues directly: The States should focus on policies that target social issues. The focus on economic parameters will result in unbalanced social development. The overall findings show that while the economy is on the right track, there is an urgent need to identify and focus on social parameters. The reliance on the idea that economic development will automatically transform social conditions will hamper further improvements in social progress. Social progress needs to be stimulated by focusing on policies directly targeting social issues. Summary: In conclusion, SPI can bring substantial betterment in the policy discourse on development. With the move to getting it introduced at a sub-national level, the index is expected to help development practitioners and other stakeholders in analysing well-being in a better manner. Focusing exclusively on GDP implies measuring progress in purely monetary terms and failing to consider the wider picture of the real things that matter to real people. GDP isn’t bad but it’s not the whole story, alongside economic growth social progress is more important for policymaking. Even as India commits itself to move on the fast track of economic growth, it must be mindful of the need to invest in improving its social indicators as well MUST READ Hope floats on a boat The Hindu Asian disorder Indian Express The witch hunters Indian Express Affordable housing- a costly affair Business Line Course correction Business Line

Nov 11, 2017 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : 75 years of Quit India Movement

75 years of Quit India Movement ARCHIVES Search 9th August 2017 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 1 The Freedom Struggle - its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country. General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. In brief Celebrating the 75 years of Quit India movement as a national event without linking it to any political party is a tribute to the determination of nation and also making it a landmark in India’s freedom struggle and subsequence. To mark this event, PM talked about Quit India Movement in a special session in Parliament where he spoke about how the freedom fighters have fought for the country and that there was a need for such a movement to fight some challenges currently faced by the country. Mahatma Gandhi wanted the country to be united and thus invited all segments of the society and not only political parties during Quit India Movement. The aim was to collectively work towards the ‘Quit India’ slogan.  Similarly for the present challenges, the people are expected to follow “Sankalp se Siddhi” slogan wherein they not only make commitment towards these goals but also accomplish them in the time frame of 5 years. PM outlined 6 major challenges which are being faced even after 70 years of independence. To tackle them, PM has said that the nation should inspire from Quit India movement where within just five years of this movement, the country got independence. Similarly, the following challenges out to be fought in a way that by 2022, they are driven out. Poverty Cleanliness Casteism Communalism Terrorism Literacy Quit India movement although given by Mahatma Gandhi later on became a mass movement. As a matter of fact, the leadership of the movement was taken over by the people and therefore that time nobody perhaps even thought that Mahatma Gandhi’s call for Quit India Movement will result into freedom in 5 years. It is true that many of the issues like poverty eradication, cleanliness, education have been priority issue for different governments in the last 70 years. Many programs, central government program as well as state government programs including flagship scheme are being run for these sectors. The plan budget is about 2.5 lakh crore for most of the schemes and the government in last 2-3 years with NITI Ayog has come up with programmes to tackle these challenges. But 5 years is a short period to remove them. Is it possible today? The leader’s job is to involve people, enthuse them to do something. If entire nation gets into that and somehow resolve to do it, it won’t be unachievable. There is need to have a determination, a will to follow the slogan ‘Sankalp se Siddhi’. Sankalp is people’s commitment to remove the evils of society and Siddhi will be being accomplished in it. Some of the challenges are fresh, like cleanliness. It’s the very first challenge because of the growth in population and industrialization has resulted into non-achievement of goal which actually should have. Now, the cleanliness campaign is branded up as a mass movement where unless there is peoples’ participation, there is no achievement. Therefore making it a campaign, the idea is to involve people and make it a collective effort. To be realistic, poverty alleviation can’t be achieved in 5 years’ time but quite a lot can be done to towards that. And once again, people can’t just depend upon the government policies alone. The society has to become a part of it. Certain things can be achieved in 5 years’ time like cleanliness and not seen as a very distant target like casteism. Casteism can’t be fought and completely rooted out in 5 years’ time but there can be awareness. The recent government data does suggest that there has been increased in the incidents of lynching, marginalisation of the weaker sections. The government has to make efforts to make a peaceful society. One major issue is corruption which has deep rooted into the society. To expose corrupt people and practices, the citizen and government should target higher echelons of the society, like political corruption. Today, such atmosphere has been created where a government servant is not quite willing to engage into bribe or any other corrupt practices for fear of being caught. Setting an example all these things in particular in place of corruption the example has to be set on a highest level. Prime Minister himself has set an example that none of his Cabinet minister has to indulge into corruption and anybody who does will be thrown out of the Cabinet. Thus, the leadership has to take a call and set example for the people to percolate down the system. The whole project and the mission is to create awareness among the people. Once people realize that it is their duty, the things become more easier to cope up with. All these things can be taken as a mission, launched as a campaign and increase more awareness amongst different section of society. The role of media is extremely important in this aspect. Role of state government and private sector India is federal country and no targets can be achieved without the help of the state government.  The 6 six issues are such that hardly any political party can afford to disagree. There will be need of public support and it has to be visible that they are fighting against these evils. How they fight it and strategies adopted to fight can be different but it is necessary to fight. Many state CMs and their government have been voted out on issue of corruption in irrespective of the party.  These fight against evils will send out the message that politicams are working for benefits of the people. Hence, different political parties will come into in getting credit for that but here it’s not something which should be done merely for political gains but basically to improve the society. The private sector has a huge role to play. For instance, Swacch Bharat Abhiyan alone in the last 3 years has seen varied participation from private sector, enterprise and people in general. Infact the leaders association, resident welfare association have come forward and are contributing. Private sector can also help in other sectors such as poverty alleviation by adopting villages, adopting areas where they can do some kind of the growth. So the role of the private sector particularly the corporate sector is important. Conclusion India today is seen all over the world as an emerging power. India is an IT super power but on this 6 fronts there really lacks lot of cooperation from the people. Together will all, the challenges can be overcome. Now it is about determination and action performed should be in sync. Connecting the dots: What are the most pressing challenges faced by people in recent years? Analyse their impact and way forward to tackle them.