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IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 22nd May, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 22nd May 2017 Archives ENVIRONMENT TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3 Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Water Pollution, Wastewater management. Consider wastewater as an asset rather than burden Overview: March 22nd is celebrated as World Water Day every year to spread awareness among the general public and focus on its importance in sustainable development. Each year a specific aspect of water is highlighted while observing International World Water Day. This year, 24th World Water Day is celebrated with the theme ‘Wastewater’. Definition of wastewater: “Wastewater” is defined as any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influences and as a result of domestic, industrial, commercial and agricultural activities. Why "wastewater"? It is easily observed that in any discourse about water, wastewater is less talked about as against normal water supply. Though waste water is the one that is generally wasted, it is an important resource too. In recent decades, population growth, accelerated urbanisation and economic development have resulted in an increase in the quantity of wastewater and the overall pollution load being generated. Most of our freshwater sources are under threat. The victims are generally the poor or socially vulnerable communities, and the end result is a high financial burden on the community and government. Wastewater as a resource in an economy requires safe management as it is an efficient investment in human health and the ecosystem. The opportunities for exploiting wastewater as a resource are enormous. Safely managed wastewater is an affordable and sustainable source of water, energy, nutrients and other recoverable materials. The benefits to our health, and in terms of economic development and environmental sustainability, business opportunities and ‘green’ jobs far outweigh the costs of wastewater management. Once treated, it can be recycled and/or reused for drinking purposes, in industry, in the artificial recharge of aquifers, in agriculture, in the rehabilitation of natural ecosystems etc. Water facts Globally, over 80% of the wastewater generated goes back to the ecosystem without being treated or reused. Another fact is that, around 1.8 billion people use drinking water contaminated with faeces which increases their risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio. Also, 663 million people still lack access to improved drinking water sources. In India, about 69% India’s water is untreated and 39% of actual operating capacity does not meet the regulatory standards (CPCB 2009). By 2030, the global demand for water is expected to grow by 50%. Most of this demand will be in cities. In low-income areas of cities/towns within developing countries, a large proportion of wastewater is discharged directly into the surface water drain, without or with limited treatment. In India, major share of waste water is generated from metro cities, class-I cities and class-II towns.  The industrial sector in India also discharges large amount of effluents, without proper treatment, into waterbodies. Unfortunately, most common effluent treatment plants are not performing satisfactorily due to improper operations and maintenance. Run-off from agriculture fields is another major source of pollution. Past experience shows that significant progress has not been achieved despite legislative and policy measures being introduced with huge budgets to solve water pollution issues. Water pollution is not a major topic of political debate as yet. The way ahead: Water pollution problem, though complex, is solvable. While it is not realistic to aim for zero water pollution, a level of socially acceptable pollution, respecting the integrity of ecosystems and service provision, can be reached. Nearly 39 percent of the sewage treatment plants (STPs) are not conforming to the general standards prescribed under the Environmental (Protection) Rules for discharge into streams. In a number of cities, the existing treatment capacity remains underutilized while a lot of sewage is discharged without treatment in the same city. If India deploys adequate treatment technology, the country would be able to significantly expand its available water supply, both for potable and non-potable use. Our economy, industry and most importantly, our people, would reap the benefits. At the national and regional levels, water pollution prevention policies should be integrated into non-water policies that have implications on water quality such as agriculture and land use management, trade, industry, energy, and urban development. Various policies, plans and strategies to protect water resources should be made participatory, allowing for consultation between government, industry and the public. At the local level, capacity building enables the community to make decisions and disseminate them to the appropriate authorities, thus influencing political processes. Market-based strategies such as environmental taxes, pollution levies and tradable permit systems should be implemented, that can be used to fight against water pollution. Incentive mechanisms such as subsidies, soft loans, tax relaxation should be included in installing pollution management devices. The application of eco-friendly inputs such as biofertilizers and pesticides in agriculture and the use of natural dyes in textile industries, industrial pollution management, and technological attempts should be made through cleaner production technology; these can reduce the pollution load considerably. Fresh water is increasingly getting scarce; the wastewater generated in urban areas can be very effectively use for sub-urban agriculture, industry, and even sanitation and certain domestic applications after treatment. There is need of deploying adequate technology to treat water in India, it could significantly expand its water supply and better water means better public health and economic development. Connecting the dots: What is waste water? What are different means to recycle it? Critically examine India’s waste water management plans. Critically analyse the role of grey water model in sustainable development. Elaborate on the benefits of the same.   NATIONAL/ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Governance issues. General Studies 3 Environment versus development. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc. Loopholes in Coastal Regulation Zone Rules Introduction: India has a significantly large coastline measuring close to 7,517km, covering large swathes of territory across nine states and four union territories. It is generally agreed that a key element in the transformation of India is the creation of a large number of good jobs. While micro and small enterprises provide lots of jobs, consistent with their low productivity, they pay relatively low wages. Coastal zones in this context holds great opportunities to provide high-paying export oriented jobs as well as several marine resource dependent opportunities. However, CRZ Notification tends to put an obstacle in this regard. Burdensome laws, accompanied by the onerous rules and regulations they impose, restrict economic activity in the entire country. However, the coastal regions suffer from the additional liability of having to comply with far-fetched coast protection norms originating under the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA). Coastal waters provide a source of primary livelihood to 7 million households. Our marine ecosystems are a treasure trove of biodiversity, which we are only beginning to discover and catalogue. Thus, our coastline is both a precious natural resource and an important economic asset, and we need a robust progressive framework to regulate our coast. Coastal Regulation Zone notification In 1991, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (“MOEF”) issued a notification under Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act of 1986, seeking to regulate development activity on India’s coastline. The approach adopted by the first notification was to define the ‘High Tide Line’ (“HTL”) and ‘Coastal Regulation Zone’ (“CRZ”) and thereafter specify the activities permitted and restricted in the vicinity of the CRZ. This regulated zone was further divided into four categories (CRZ I-IV) as per permitted land use. As per the norms created by the Central government, a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) is the land area from the high-tide line to 500m inland. There is a long list of prohibited activities within this zone, such as the setting up of new industries, expansion of existing industries, establishment of fish processing units, warehouses, land reclamation, etc. Concern: Although the norms carve out exceptions within these prohibited activities for certain undertakings, such as building ports or reconstructing dwelling units for local communities. The regulation is replete with such curious exceptions to some specific cases (for ex – green signal for development of a greenfield airport proposed at Navi Mumbai), which raise questions pertaining to the criteria that was followed to determine permissible and non-permissible activities. Flaws in the present CRZ rules The peculiarity of the CRZ directives is evidenced from the universal allowance granted to areas adjoining bays, estuaries, backwaters, lagoons and other tidal-influenced water bodies. For areas falling under this category, the regulated zone extends only 100m inland from the high-tide line. As a result, many developers, entrepreneurs and builders have been asking the coastal zone management authorities to declare the water around the coastal land area within their project plans as bays or tidal-influenced water bodies. Some have approached several high courts for such declaration to avail the benefits of a smaller regulated zone. The multiplicity of definitions, exceptions, permissible and impermissible activities not only lead to high regulatory and legal expenditure in obtaining project clearances, there is all-round confusion in implementation as well. The execution of the CRZ rules falls within the domain of several coastal zone management authorities created by the state governments for this purpose Way ahead The CRZ norms are another example of a top-down, heavy-handed, legislative diktat from Delhi that ignores local dynamics and the diverse needs and realities of states. Regulations like CRZ create significant entry barriers for firms unable to negotiate the myriad, complex guidelines or lobby for rent-seeking special concessions from the government. The authorities have to prepare coastal zone management plans based on the complicated regulation which also lists the guidelines that the authorities must follow in preparation of the plans. Most authorities are themselves unaware of the implementation scheme and a significant number of cases concerning clearances and bay designation are sent to the Central government for clarification. This not only creates uncertainty, it also increases the time taken for permissions, burdening the firms with high compliance outlays. Connecting the dots: Coastal Regulation Zone norms are an example of a top-down, heavy-handed, legislative diktat from Delhi that ignores local dynamics. Do you agree? Elucidate. Write a note on structure, functioning and performance of Coastal Zone Management Authorities (CZMAs). Explain the role of Coastal Regulatory Zone/Authorities (CRZ) in protecting Environment. MUST READ Addressing the court within Hindu Cool down the rhetoric Hindu Looking China in the eye Indian Express From plate to plough: An unfulfilled farm manifesto Indian Express Designing cybersecurity for the financial sector Livemint All set for GST Business Line How to prevent a digital Armageddon Business Line  

IASbaba's 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2017 Polity and Current Affairs [Day 50]

Hello Friends So, here we are with the 50th Day of 60 Days Plan. It is the third edition of 60 Days program but seems like the first one because of the excitement involved everywhere, including us :) We are equally excited and pumped. Our Team is working hard to make you realize your dream. Do not take it insincerely and let us down. Your faith and participation has to be in sync with the amount of hard work and effort we do. Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to comment their answers in the comment box on daily basis. There were huge participation in discussion. Putting answers in comment box has been very effective to self track yourself after updating the score. In the end you can cross check your performance through disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last two months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How you can make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants here just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 20 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So make effort to know the answers of all questions. Do not cheat :P Baba's Gyan for REVISION Many of you, almost all, asks about effective revision strategy! Can there be any? Let us tell you something Baba does :D  You guys study a lot and there is no issue with the hard work that has been put in. But when it comes to input-output comparison, your performance is questionable. What to do? Just do this for a Week: Go to bed before stipulated time of your sleep, at least 1 hour before. Close your eyes and try to relax your mind. You should attain full comfort and calmness. Do this on the First Day: Imagine the full story of a recent movie that you have watched. Try to recollect from starting to end. See, whether you are able to depict the clear picture or not! Now, do the same for everything you learnt from morning specially the ones you struggled with. Since it is fresh, most of the things should flow into your mind smoothly. Check what is your recollecting capacity. For example, if you prepared Polity Day 2: Topics- Try to collect all important concepts and learning of the day. Trust us, this exercise if done with sincerity will give you immense confidence as well as boost your performance. There is no ideal time for revision and there cannot be any specific date put for it, as commonly done. This will always expose your weaknesses the very same day and if you tend to forget something, can always get back to consolidate and cement it. REPEAT IT FOR A WEEK & SEE THE MAGIC :D  Must to Do: Read the detailed article regarding Micro Analysis Matrix and follow the guidelines- Click Here Try to hold your nerves and learn to control the temptation. This is very important art to learn and implement! Are you ready? Let's start [Day 50]: POLITY & CURRENT AFFAIRS  ARCHIVES TOPICS: Constitutional Bodies Non-Constitutional Bodies Tribunals PRELIMS MCQ’s: Q.1) The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) exercises original jurisdiction in relation to recruitment and service matters of public servants belonging to civilian employees of defence services officers of the Supreme Court all-India services secretarial staff of the Parliament state government employees Select the correct code 1 and 3 Only 1, 2 and 3 2, 4 and 5 3 Only Q.2) With reference to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which of the following statement is not true? The President determines the composition of Union Public Service Commission The jurisdiction of UPSC can be extended by the Parliament The UPSC is not consulted while making reservations of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens The members of UPSC can relinquish their offices at any time by addressing their resignation to their Chairman Q.3) With regard to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which of the following statement in incorrect? The commission is not empowered to inquire into any matter after the expiry of one year from the occurrence of violation of human rights It has no power to punish the violators of human rights, nor to award any relief including monetary relief to the victim NHRC does not have suo motu powers to look into violation of human rights It has all the powers of a civil court and its proceedings have a judicial character. Q.4) With reference to Election Commission of India, consider the following The President has the power to increase/decrease the number of election commissioners in the Election Commission In case of difference of opinion between the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners, the matter is decided by the Chief Election Commissioner The Election commission conducts elections to the office of the President and Vice-President Which of the above statement[s] is/are correct? 1 Only 1 and 3 Only 1, 2 and 3 None Q.5) In India, which of the following is/are not considered as Constitutional bodies? National Commission for Scheduled Tribes National Commission for Minorities National Human Rights Commission Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities Advocate General of the State Select the correct code 2 and 3 Only 1, 4 and 5 2, 3 and 4 2, 3, 4 and 5 Q.6) Central Administrative Tribunal(CAT) was setup to provide speedy and inexpensive justice to the aggrieved public servants. With regard to CAT, which of the following statements is incorrect? Provisions for establishment of Tribunals in India was provided by 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 authorises the Parliament to establish one Central administrative tribunal and the state administrative tribunals CAT is guided by the principles of natural justice not by procedure laid down in the Civil Procedure Code of 1908 An aggrieved public servant cannot approach the Supreme Court directly against an order of the CAT, without first going to the concerned High court Q.7) According to the Constitution of India, it is the duty of the President of India to cause to be laid before the Parliament which of the following? The Recommendations of the Union Finance Commission The Report of the Public Accounts Committee The Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General The Report of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes The Report of the Central Vigilance Commission Select the correct answer using the codes given below 1 and 3 only 2 and 4 only 1, 2, 3 and 4 1, 3, 4 and 5 Q.8) Consider the following Union Public Service Commission is the central personnel agency in India Both Central Vigilance Commission and Union Public Service Commission can be consulted by the government while taking disciplinary action against a civil servant Which of the above statement[s] is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.9) The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is required to investigate and monitor all matters relating to the constitutional and legal safeguards of Other Backward Classes Anglo-Indian Community Scheduled Tribes Scheduled Castes Select the correct code 3 and 4 only 1 and 4 only 1 only 1, 2 and 4 Q.10) In India, other than ensuring that public funds are used efficiently and for intended purpose, what is the importance of the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)? CAG exercises exchequer control on behalf of the Parliament when the President of India declares national emergency/financial emergency. CAG reports on the execution of projects or programmes by the ministries are discussed by the Public Accounts Committee. Information from CAG reports can be used by investigating agencies to press charges against those who have violated the law while managing public finances. While dealing with the audit and accounting of government companies, CAG has certain judicial powers for prosecuting those who violate the law. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1, 3 and 4 only 2 only 2 and 3 only 1, 2, 3 and 4 Q.11) Consider the following A State Human Rights Commission can inquire into violation of human rights only in respect of subjects mentioned in the State List and the Concurrent List of the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution The chairperson and members of a State Human Rights Commission are appointed and removed by the Governor Which of the above statement[s] is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.12) Which of the following institutions/bodies have powers of a Civil Court? National Commission for Scheduled Tribes National Human Rights Commission Comptroller and auditor general of India Central Information Commission Central Vigilance Commission Choose the correct code 2 and 3 Only 1, 3 and 5 1, 2, 3 and 5 1, 2, 4 and 5 Q.13) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) being the main investigating agency of the Central Government, plays an important role in the prevention of corruption and maintaining integrity in administration. With regard to CBI, consider the following The CBI is not a statutory body Establishment of the CBI was recommended by the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption Upholding human rights, protecting the environment, arts, antiques and heritage of our civilisation is one of the focus areas of CBI Which of the above statement[s] is/are correct? 1 only 2 only 1 and 2 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.14) Match the following National Commissions/Body                                      Ministry                      Inter-State Council                            -      Ministry of Home Affairs Central Information Commission  -      Ministry of Personnel Central Bureau of Investigation      -      Ministry of Home Affairs National Human Rights Commission -      Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Which of the above is/are correctly matched? 1 and 2 Only 1 and 3 Only 1, 3 and 4 2, 3 and 4  Q.15) With regard to Joint State Public Service Commission (JSPSC), consider the following JSPSC is a statutory body A JSPSC presents its annual performance report to the President The number of members of a JSPSC and their conditions of service are determined by the President Which of the above statement[s] is/are correct? 1 Only 1 and 3 Only 1, 2 and 3 None Q.16) Which of the following countries is not a member of Eurasian Economic Union Armenia Belarus Georgia Kazakhstan Q.17) Consider the following statements about Council of Europe All the members of Council of Europe are members of European Union United States, Japan and China have observer status with the Council of Europe Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.18) Consider the following statements about Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (JSK) It is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Shantushti strategy under JSK involves private sector gynaecologist and vasectomy surgeons to conduct operation in PPP mode Prerna strategy recognizes and awards couples who had broken the stereotype of early marriage and early childbirth Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.19) Gazoldoba Barrage is located in which of the following states? West Bengal Sikkim Meghalaya Assam Q.20) Togalu Gombeyaata is a puppet show unique to Odisha Tamil Nadu Kerala Karnataka Q.21) Consider the following statements about Incremental Capital Output Ratio (ICOR) It refers to the additional capital required to generate additional output A country with a higher ICOR is better than a country with a lower ICOR Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.22) Recently the Chinese diplomats have been using the famous traveller Hiuen Tsang’s legacy to rekindle ‘cooperation’ between India and China. Consider the following statements with regard to Hiuen Tsang He was known as ‘Prince of Pilgrims’ He travelled India during the reign of Chandra Gupta II Choose the appropriate code Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.23) ______________ is the nodal agency to facilitate digital transition of residential townships across the country. Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation Ltd Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GNFC) Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd Download The Solution - Click here

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The Big Picture - Religious beliefs V/S Constitutional Morality: Challenges for Republic of India

Religious beliefs V/S Constitutional Morality: Challenges for Republic of India 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 Recently, Supreme Court of India was hearing a batch pf petitions, challenging the constitutional validity of the instant divorce practice under Muslim law, underlying the triple talaq questions were the deeper issues about the nature of constitutional law in India. It concluded the hearing in the triple talaq case and reserved its judgement. This case has caused a lot of judicial confusion over the years. It has also produced deep distortions in the politics. Since the existence of diversity is of such a great extent in India, the occurrence of conflicts is not a matter of surprise. When it comes to laws in India, other than the basic difference of the statutory laws and procedural laws, there are personal laws as well. They are those laws which are governed explicitly in matters relating to family affairs- marriage, divorce, succession etc. some of the examples are hindu law, Christian law, parsi law and Christian law. SC has clearly stated that it is not going to get into the practice of polygamy and niqah halala. The SC also clarified that it is not going to get into the UCC which is currently being examined by the law commission of India. Currently, only the triple talaq and that too the instant form is under challenge before SC. Most of the petitions were mainly on the ground that it violates the right to equality under Art 14, right to non-discrimination under art 15 and right to live with human dignity that is implicit in art 21 of constitution. From the other side, the respondents were AIMPLB and few other organisations and individuals which argued that triple talaq is part of their belief and faith for last 1400 years and they went to extent of saying that ram was born in ayodya which it is also a matter of faith which no one can question. Constitutional provisions There is restriction on the state under art 13(2) which states that there shouldn’t be any law which violates the FRs of individuals. Other argument is right to practice one’s own personal law is derived from art 25 which is right to religion but it is subject to other rights also such as morality, health and public order. So by implication the right to personal law becomes subject to all other FRs and hence cannot violate the right to equality of Muslim women in the triple talaq issue. This was the crux of the argument. The court has to do a balancing act and strike a balance between right to religion and practice the personal law and Muslim women’s right to fundamental rights- equality and non-discrimination. The argument from the petitioner’s side made that secularism means that all religious doctrines has had to subjugate itself to the rule of law. Triple talaq is not integral to the faith. It is a practice and that too has been modified over the time. Originally it was prescribed as one has to pronounce talaq thrice with interregnums in order to reflect on the decision of divorce the Muslim man is taking. This is more scientific way of doing it. The instant form is a retrograde practice which is humiliation of women. The SC asked AIMPLB if there was any provision of women saying no to the triple talaq in the niqahnama. It replied that such an advisory can go out from the clergy to the people of community but the nature of it wouldn’t be binding. This shows that there is a way out to the issue and if the beginning is made, then community leaders can sort this issue to the satisfaction of petitioners. Personal laws of religions beyond the scope of judicial review? Any law that falls within the art 13 can never be away from the scope of judicial review. The query of SC as to whether the community will be acceptable if an option is there in the niqahnama is problematic. If there is a conclusion that what is being infracted and infringed upon is fundamental If it is assumed that triple talaq is an essential part of the religion, that is when constitutional powers of the SC to intervene are tested. If a religion says that the punishment of adultery is stoning and it is an essential aspect of its religion as far as retaining the sanctity of marriage is concerned and it has a scriptural basis with no distortions over a period of time, then is the SC and Indian state expected to sit back and allow the practice in name of Art 25 (1)? No. Art 25 (1) starts with a contingent clause which clearly says that- subject to part 3 of public morality and order. Thus, there are religious rights but there are certain provisions attached to it. The state has the power to deal it. Thus, there shouldn’t be stripping the state of any power to deal with any of these practices. However, there is caveat. SC has said that the religion should not be reformed out of its identity. But then it needs to be asked that if there are certain aspects of certain religions which can shock the conscience of any reasonable, modern, secular person, then what should be done? Interpreting the societal laws There is a law in the country criminalising dowry. But the same law permits gifts by parents to the daughter. It is so because any law has to be acceptable to the people for whom it is being formulated. Currently the question is of a belief, a bad tradition and bad practice which has been followed over the years. So, if the SC makes an attempt to take the community on board, while correcting the wrong which is sustainable, then SC in its wisdom will take the call. Recently, an organisation related to RSS made a statement about redoing the manusmriti. Manusmriti in its existential form is different from what is was written originally. In manusmriti there is a practice of untouchability which is a criminal offence under constitution of India. So the society has evolved and it should be encouraged. The law should be so formulated that it meets the requirements of the constitution, rights of people and level of acceptability which is required for it to be a success. However, it is a sad reality that though untouchability was declared unconstitutional in one go, it is still practiced. The constitution has guaranteed a separate set of rights to the minorities. These minorities have most of the time opposed any changes in their rights. However, triple talaq is not about a particular community. Constitutional rights, particularly part 3- art 14, 15, 21 are not given to communities but are for individuals. So even if one citizen whose rights are being violated have the provision to go to court and claim the right. SC has said that if a practice is an essential part of the religion, then it will not touch it. But even if it is essential part of the practice, it cannot be allowed to violate the rights of the other members of the same religion. In this case, half the Muslim population is affected. Way forward There is need to maintain distinction between triple talaq formulated in Qur’an allowing for time gaps for reconciliation and the current practice of instant talaq. The SC needs to take a clear position on the issue of personal laws vs. fundamental rights as it is fundamental to issue of triple talaq. Triple talaq is an outward symptom. The decision of SC will have a bearing on lot of practices on all communities, for ex. the sabrimala case. However, as reforms are gradual and not sudden, it has to be brought into the society by spreading knowledge about it. Connecting the dots: Fundamental rights vs. personal laws debate has been an ongoing one. Critically analyse the issues pertaining to it when it comes to human rights.

IASbaba's 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2017 Polity and Current Affairs [Day 49]

Hello Friends So, here we are with the 49th Day of 60 Days Plan. It is the third edition of 60 Days program but seems like the first one because of the excitement involved everywhere, including us :) We are equally excited and pumped. Our Team is working hard to make you realize your dream. Do not take it insincerely and let us down. Your faith and participation has to be in sync with the amount of hard work and effort we do. Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to comment their answers in the comment box on daily basis. There were huge participation in discussion. Putting answers in comment box has been very effective to self track yourself after updating the score. In the end you can cross check your performance through disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last two months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How you can make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants here just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 20 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So make effort to know the answers of all questions. Do not cheat :P Baba's Gyan for REVISION Many of you, almost all, asks about effective revision strategy! Can there be any? Let us tell you something Baba does :D  You guys study a lot and there is no issue with the hard work that has been put in. But when it comes to input-output comparison, your performance is questionable. What to do? Just do this for a Week: Go to bed before stipulated time of your sleep, at least 1 hour before. Close your eyes and try to relax your mind. You should attain full comfort and calmness. Do this on the First Day: Imagine the full story of a recent movie that you have watched. Try to recollect from starting to end. See, whether you are able to depict the clear picture or not! Now, do the same for everything you learnt from morning specially the ones you struggled with. Since it is fresh, most of the things should flow into your mind smoothly. Check what is your recollecting capacity. For example, if you prepared Polity Day 2: Topics- Try to collect all important concepts and learning of the day. Trust us, this exercise if done with sincerity will give you immense confidence as well as boost your performance. There is no ideal time for revision and there cannot be any specific date put for it, as commonly done. This will always expose your weaknesses the very same day and if you tend to forget something, can always get back to consolidate and cement it. REPEAT IT FOR A WEEK & SEE THE MAGIC :D  Must to Do: Read the detailed article regarding Micro Analysis Matrix and follow the guidelines- Click Here Try to hold your nerves and learn to control the temptation. This is very important art to learn and implement! Are you ready? Let's start [Day 49]: POLITY & CURRENT AFFAIRS  ARCHIVES TOPICS: Panchayati Raj & Urban Local bodies PRELIMS MCQ’s: Q.1) With regard to the Constitution (Seventy-Third Amendment) Act, 1992, which of the following statement is incorrect? The chairperson of panchayats at the intermediate and district levels shall be elected indirectly To bring about uniformity in the structure of Panchayati Raj throughout the country, the Act makes it mandatory for all states to have a three-tier system The chairperson of a panchayat at the village level shall be elected in such manner as the State legislature determines All the members of panchayats at the village, intermediate and district levels shall be elected directly by the people Q.2) At the Central level, the subject of ‘urban local government’ is dealt with which of the following ministries? Ministry of Defence Ministry of Home Affairs Ministry of Urban Development Select the correct code 3 Only 2 and 3 Only 1 and 3 Only 1, 2 and 3 Q.3) Which of the following committee recommended for constitutional status of Panchayati Raj institutions? G V K Rao Committee Ashok Mehta Committee L M Singhvi Committee Narasimha Rao Committee Q.4) Consider the following statements The idea of establishment of 3-tier Panchayat-raj system was recommended by Ashok Mehta Committee Andra Pradesh was the first state to establish Panchayati Raj Choose the correct code 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) According to the Seventy-Third Amendment Act, 1992 The minimum age prescribed for any person to be a member of Panchayat is not less than 18 years Matters related to disqualifications of members of Panchayat Raj shall be referred to Governor of a State Which of the above statement[s] is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.6) Organisation of village panchayats is mentioned in Directive Principles of State Policy Fundamental Rights Seventy-Fourth Amendment Act None of the above  Q.7) Consider the following statements Lord Mayo is known as the father of local self-government in India A Panchayat reconstituted after premature dissolution continues only for the remainder period. According to 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, validity of any law relating to the delimitation of constituencies cannot be questioned in any court Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 only 2 and 3 only 3 only Q.8) Which of the following does not fall under the compulsory provisions of Seventy-Third Amendment Act, 1992 Fixing tenure of five years for panchayats at all levels Constitution of a State Finance Commission after every five years to review the financial position of the panchayats Holding fresh elections within six months in the event of supersession of any panchayat Authorizing panchayats to levy, collect and appropriate taxes, duties, tolls and fees Q.9) The Constitution (Seventy-Third Amendment) Act, 1992, which aims at promoting the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the country, provides for which of the following? Constitution of District Planning Committees. State Election Commissions to conduct all panchayat elections. Establishment of State Finance Commissions. Select the correct answer using the codes given below: 1 only 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.10) With regard to urban local bodies in India, which of the following is incorrect? Notified area committee is an entirely nominated body Mayor is the chief executive authority of a Municipal corporation Mayor is elected for a period of one year renewable term Notified area committee is neither an elected body nor a statutory body Q.11) In India, a Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) Is constituted under the provisions of the Constitution of India. Has the sole responsibility for implementing Government sponsored schemes in the metropolitan area MPC prepares draft development plan with regard to nature of investments to be made in the Metropolitan area by agencies of the Government of the concerned State and Government of India as well Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 and 3 only 1 only 2 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.12) With regard to Specialized purpose agency, a type of urban local body, consider the following These are area-based urban bodies These are single purpose bodies They function as subordinate agencies of the local municipal bodies They can be established either as statutory bodies or through an executive resolution Which of the above statement[s] is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 4 only 2, 3 and 4 2 and 3 only Q.13) In the areas covered under the Panchayat (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, what is the role/power of Gram Sabha? Gram Sabha has the power to prevent alienation of land in the Scheduled Areas. Gram Sabha has the ownership of minor forest produce. Recommendation of Gram Sabha is required for granting prospecting licence or mining lease for any mineral in the Scheduled Areas. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 only 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.14) With regard to the affirmative provisions provided in 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, which of the following is incorrect ? The act provides for the reservation of not less than one-third of the total number of seats for women The act provides for the reservation of not less than one-third of the total number of seats for SCs and STs in panchayats at all the three levels. The State Legislature can make provisions for reservation of seats (both members and chairpersons) for backward classes in panchayats at any level. None Q.15) Which of the following is not true with regard to State Election Commission? Preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of all elections to the panchayats is vested in the State Election Commission The State Election Commissioner is appointed by the Governor of that State The State Election Commissioner is removed by the President based on the recommendation of the Parliament None  Q.16) Travel and Tourism Competitive Index is released by World Economic Forum Airbnb World Bank None of the above Q.17) Consider the following statements about Kyasanur Forest disease It is a vector borne disease It is also known as Mad Cow disease It is endemic to South Asia Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.18) Consider the following statements about Belmont Forum India and China are the only Asian countries to be members of the Belmont Forum Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change represents India as a member of the Belmont Forum Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.19) Consider the following statements about “BRS Conventions” Basel Convention is concerned with Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal Rotterdam Convention is concerned with Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in international trade Stockholm Convention is concerned with Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above  Q.20) Which of the following countries imposed blanket ban on metal mining? Guatemala El Salvador Honduras Nicaragua Q.21) Which of the following statements is/are correct? Albedo is reflectivity of an object in space Lowering of albedo will result in decrease in temperature of the planet Select the correct code: Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.22) 900-year-old World Heritage Site Rani ki Vav beat 10 other iconic heritage structures across the country to bag an award for the “Cleanest Iconic Place” at the Indian Sanitation Conference (INDOSAN) 2016. It is located in Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh Gujarat Maharashtra Q.23) Container Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR) is under the Ministry of Railways Shipping Road Transport and Highways Commerce and Industry Download The Solution - Click here

Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – NLP Learning Strategy – Inspirational & Educative Articles

  NLP Learning Strategies: One of the most dynamic and scientific systems ever designed for effecting change in human behaviour through simple and effect learning strategies is NLP. NLP or Neuro Linguistic Programming is a branch of Psychology that has revolutionized the way we understand how we learn and teach. NLP as an independent psychological field was designed and developed by Dr. Richard Bandler. His revolutionary ideas of observing people and understanding how they do what they do turned out to be the most advanced system of understanding behavior and effecting change. NLP is based on the most simple and mind numbingly realistic rule of communication that how we do things is infinitely more important than what we do. Irrespective of our chosen field of work, if we can understand the process of how we do things, we will be able to master it. For example, if we understand how a child learns to read and write; how it pictures its surroundings and connects to letters and words, we will be able to better design our teaching systems and processes. NLP is based on how things work on the inside. NLP is about understanding the internal thought structures and adjusting our learning strategies accordingly. Here is an example of NLP learning strategy from Edge: “Say for example a student is learning to spell. Good spelling is the application of learning to learn new words.  When teaching spellings as a strategy, it is important to put the emphasis on the process of learning rather than the words themselves. If a student can spell 10 words in a list, given as homework, then they may get them all right, but this doesn’t mean that they feel they are good at spelling. Using NLP as a learning strategy involves giving confidence in the ability to learn new words, rather than just by memorizing them. One technique involves the student reading the word from left to right, then looking at it right to left in order to understand the way it is spelt.  As opposed to a mnemonic, this enables the student to focus on the process of learning, which gives more confidence and therefore better results.“ To be continued…….. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”  

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 20th May, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 20th May 2017 Archives NATIONAL/ENVIRONMENT TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3 Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Disaster and disaster management. Natural Infrastructure Introduction India is a developing country and faces multipronged developmental challenges. In the age of competing priorities the need for a sustainable development model is critical. Natural infrastructure should be integrated in the process of development. Cost of Disasters: Natural disasters cause huge losses annually and there have been growing concerns over the measures needed, particularly with respect to the ecosystem in which society, business and government exist. In India, approximately 805 million people were affected by around 288 weather-related disasters during 1995-2015. In order to avoid risk and damage, and to build resilience to these disasters, natural infrastructure solutions are increasingly being considered and implemented. Issue: Natural infrastructures are planned and managed natural or semi-natural systems, which can provide benefits or even replace a functionality that is traditionally provided by grey infrastructures. These natural or green infrastructures can be areas such as forests, agricultural lands, estuaries, coastal landscapes and wetlands. These solutions comprises – coastal ecosystem (mangroves, coral reefs) for coastline protection from storms; watershed restoration (by sustainable land management) for water quality regulation; afforestation for carbon sequestration; habitat restoration or conservation for pollination; phyto-remediation to rehabilitate contaminated soil and water; Multi-pronged approach Natural infrastructure (NI) solutions arrayed across different scales, from buildings to landscapes in rural, urban, terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine areas, hold huge potential. At the local level, NI solutions include permeable pavements, trees and rainwater harvesting systems. Vegetative solutions consists of green roofs, rain gardens, and bio-swales, which can be used in cities and industrial parks to balance storm water conveyance systems. Rain gardens capture rainwater in a depression in the ground, and prevent flash floods and erosion in streams by slowing down storm water. Bio-swales are made along roadsides so that rainwater from the road flows towards them and percolates into the ground. NI solutions include constructed wetlands that are used for industrial processed water and waste-water treatment, substituting traditional waste-water treatment infrastructure. Oyster reefs and seagrass beds can decrease erosion and protect coastal areas from storms, while also filtering contaminated seawater and supporting local fisheries. Benefits of Natural infrastructure: Natural infrastructures offer numerous benefits to society. For example, a well-managed forest can regulate water for drinking, agriculture and energy, store carbon, support pollinators and provide recreational and tourism opportunities. Further, it can increase biodiversity and improve storm resilience. Natural infrastructure can help avoid water pollution that would otherwise need to pass through a conventional water treatment plant, thus reducing costs. Many cities have a water fund focused on NI solutions that has resulted in significant savings every year by reducing water treatment costs. NI solutions often require less initial capital investment and reduced operations and maintenance costs. These solutions often require fewer human resources for oversight. As more businesses invest in NI solutions, the demand for related skills will increase, resulting in new job opportunities. Additionally, NI can contribute to new natural resource-based industries, such as commercial fisheries. NI solutions offer the social licence to operate businesses and enhance public health. For example, parks and permeable pavements reduce noise pollution by dampening traffic noise. NI investments can even lead to increase in property values due to the enhanced aesthetics of landscapes. Sustainable Development Goals Mapping and assessing NI solutions is essential to ensure that their true values are considered in policies and decision-making across sectors. For example, a hydro-power company’s dependence on a forested watershed can measure days of operation lost or costs of turbine repair per year because of sedimentation of waterways due to deforestation. Businesses have the opportunity to contribute to the SDGs particularly SDG9 (resilient infrastructure), SDG 13 (climate change) and SDG 15 (reverse land degradation) while addressing business needs and deriving benefits from NI solutions. Businesses can integrate disaster risk into their management practices as indicated in the recently adopted ‘Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction’. The ability and needs related to measuring and accounting natural capital will vary, so multiple, flexible, yet rigorous approaches will be required for effective decision-making. In some cities, governments and companies pay for ecosystem services to secure clean water supplies instead of paying for expensive grey water treatment facilities and processes. Conclusion: The need for integration of all areas of development and stakeholders for a coordinated policy is a crucial requirement. Natural infrastructure has a significant role to play in sustainable development especially when urbanisation and industrialization is having a free play at the cost of ecological concerns. Connecting the dots: Critically analyse the role of natural infrastructure in sustainable development. Elaborate on the benefits of the same.   NATIONAL/ECONOMY 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 Government Budgeting. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Jobless Growth Introduction Growth should be inclusive and sustainable. One of the crucial determinant of the same is it should be employment intensive. India has witnessed servicisation of the economy and this has resulted in less job intensive growth. Further there are issues in policy orientations. Issue: Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramaniam recently pointed to the need to achieve higher economic growth, in the range of 8% to 10%, to solve the problem of jobless growth. In particular, he flagged the underperformance of the information technology, construction and agricultural sectors, which earlier served as huge job-creators for the economy. It is worth noting that India added just 1.35 lakh jobs in eight labour-intensive sectors in 2015, compared to the 9.3 lakh jobs that were created in 2011, according to Labour Bureau figures. The rate of unemployment grew steadily from 3.8% in 2011-12 to 5% in 2015-16. Union Labour and Employment Minister has downplayed the gloomy job situation as being a temporary one. The focus instead is on the new National Employment Policy which, accordingly, would be released later this year and focus on shifting jobs from the informal to the formal sector. NITI Aayog too has dismissed concerns over jobless growth, saying the real problem is underemployment rather than unemployment. Nevertheless, this month the government set up a high-level task force headed by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya to obtain reliable data on employment trends to aid policymaking. Need for focus on Job oriented growth: The focus on jobs is obviously vital. However, higher economic growth alone will not solve the jobs problem. Jobs can be created when growth comes from the transition of labour from informal sectors like agriculture to the more formal manufacturing and service sectors. Such extensive growth, however, runs the risk of stagnation once the available stock of informal labour is exhausted — as some Southeast Asian countries found out the hard way in the late 1990s. On the other hand, growth can come about without any substantial job-creation in the formal sectors of the economy, but through improvements in productivity. The growth record of several developed economies even after the modernization of their labour force explains such intensive growth. India should aim at growth that is driven both by improvements in productivity and modernisation of its labour force — especially since better jobs are crucial to improving the lives of millions who are employed, indeed underemployed, in low-paying jobs in the farm sector. Ironically, achieving both those objectives will first require labour reforms — ones that can both boost labour mobility within the formal sector and bring down the barriers businesses face in hiring labour. Concerns – Productivity vs Employment intensity: If output is growing much faster than employment, it is obvious that the output per worker, or what we call labour productivity, is rising rapidly. This can happen either through technical progress in individual sectors or through growth-enhancing 'structural change', which means that the relatively productive sectors expand their share in national employment at the expense of other sectors. While recent research has shown that growth – through both these channels of productivity growth – has reduced poverty in India, one can easily argue that employment growth lagging behind the growth in working-age population can have adverse economic, political and social consequences. The negative consequences have already manifested themselves in the form of the recent Jat, Patel, and Maratha agitations Conclusion: Incremental labour reforms alone won’t work unless these are combined with a step-up in government spending on asset and job-creating areas such as infrastructure, which in turn inspires private investment. Job-creation needs to be an essential axis along which economic and social policies are formulated. Connecting the dots: Discuss relevance of a growth model that has employment orientation. Elaborate the ills of jobless growth on the economy. MUST READ Should Hindi be the sole official language? Hindu GST rates: welcome clarity, at last Hindu The Battle Lies Within Indian Express The Three Year Agenda Indian Express Making much of China Indian Express Not by growth alone Business Line  

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 19th May, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 19th May 2017 Archives ENERGY SECURITY TOPIC: General Studies 3 Technology, Energy Security Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. India’s Nuclear Power expansion plans Introduction: As of 2016, India has 22 nuclear reactors in operation in 8 nuclear power plants, having an installed capacity of 6780 MW (megawatts) and producing a total of 30,292.91 GWh of electricity. The country’s nuclear power sector is set to undergo the biggest expansion in its history with the cabinet recently clearing 10 new reactors, each with a capacity of 700 MW (mega watts of electricity). The proposed new reactors will amount to 7,000 MWe (megawatt electric), i.e. will more than double the country’s current installed nuclear capacity of 6,780 MWe. India has a flourishing and largely indigenous nuclear power programme and expects to have 14.6 GWe nuclear capacity on line by 2024 and 63 GWe by 2032. It aims to supply 25% of electricity from nuclear power by 2050. India’s energy consumption demand has more than doubled since 2000. According to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2015, the country’s power sector needs to almost quadruple by 2040 to keep pace with electricity demand that — boosted by rising incomes and new connections to the grid — will increase at almost 5 per cent per year. The decision on the new reactors signals the government’s zeal to look beyond traditional sources of electricity. Story of nuclear plants in India Nuclear power is widely regarded as a cleaner source of energy than fossil fuels like coal. Unlike renewable energy sources such as solar power which needs large tracts of land, nuclear plants work on a smaller area to produce larger amounts of power. They have been marketed as the cheapest alternative to coal-based generation plants. However, the story of nuclear plants in India has been fraught with delays, opacity and large-scale local dissatisfaction. Not just this, performance of some of the plants has been poor. In addition, India’s nuclear plants do not function transparently. Most technical information relating to the plants are beyond public scrutiny owing to security concerns. Without addressing the concerns about the safety and efficiency of India’s existing nuclear plants, the government’s large-scale nuclear expansion will only invite further distrust. Development of nuclear power in India: India’s currently has 22 nuclear power units. Tarapur Atomic Power Station (T.A.P.S.) The first pair – is located in Tarapur, Maharashtra It uses enriched uranium and incorporates U.S. nuclear technology These two reactors have operated safely and reliably for the past 47 years and supply the lowest cost non-hydro power Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (R.A.P.S) The second pair – is located in Rawatbhata, Rajasthan It uses natural uranium and is based on Canadian technology The first unit of this pair has been out of service for some years due to deficiencies in some key equipment; the second unit has been operating satisfactorily Commencing from 1983 and over a span of two and a half decades, India built 16 nuclear power units using its own technology, materials and equipment. These reactors use natural uranium as fuel. Fourteen of them have a size of 220 MW and two are of 540 MW. During the period 2000-2010, India designed a nuclear power unit of 700 MW capacity, using natural uranium. Construction work on two such units in Kakrapar (in Gujarat) and two in Rajasthan was taken up. These four units will go into operation in the next three years. Work on two similar units has been taken up at a site in Haryana. All equipment and materials for these larger units will come from Indian suppliers. In recent years, two 1000 MW VVER power units have come up in Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu, using Russian technology. They use enriched uranium supplied by Russia. In 2016, work on two more such units was commenced. When all these units go into operation, India will have 30 reactors with a capacity of 13,000 MW. By then some of the earlier units will be reaching their retirement age. Link: http://www.wwfenvis.nic.in/WriteReadData/UserFiles/image/envis/page%204.png Because India is outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty due to its weapons programme, it was for 34 years largely excluded from trade in nuclear plant or materials, which has hampered its development of civil nuclear energy until 2009. Moreover, due to earlier trade bans and lack of indigenous uranium, India has uniquely been developing a nuclear fuel cycle to exploit its reserves of thorium. India’s domestic uranium reserves are small and the country is dependent on uranium imports to fuel its nuclear power industry. Since early 1990s, Russia has been a major supplier of nuclear fuel to India. However, recently large deposits of uranium, has been discovered in the Tummalapalle belt and in the Bhima basin at Gogi in Karnataka by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) of India. The Tummalapalle belt uranium reserves promises to be one of the top 20 uranium reserves discovery of the world. Following a waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in September 2008 which allowed it to commence international nuclear trade, India has signed bilateral deals on civilian nuclear energy technology cooperation with several other countries, including France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and South Korea. Present scenario India has been in discussions with Areva of France on building six EPR reactors of 1600 MW at Jaitapur, Maharashtra. The first such reactor in Finland has been greatly delayed and may go into operation in 2018. There is a pending arbitration case between Finland and France regarding who is to bear the resulting cost increases. In addition, Areva has suffered heavy losses post-Fukushima when the uranium market bottomed and even Westinghouse which was also scheduled to build nuclear reactors in India, went into financial crisis. The way ahead: Anticipating some of these difficulties, the nuclear community in India has been looking at other options to expand the nuclear capacity. The fleet of pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR), of our own design and construction, have performed well. During the last five years, the cumulative capacity factor has been 78%. The reactors have operated continuously for periods exceeding 300 days quite regularly and one of our reactors was on line for 765 days, the second-longest run in the world. The cost of power has been less than from coal in the same region. Given the context, the recent Union Cabinet’s nod for ten 700 MW PHWRs is timely. Indian industry is well placed to supply all the components and materials required for these reactors. Russia is willing to supply two more 1000 MW VVER units for Kudankulam and continue the cooperation to build six 1200 MW VVERs at a second site, to be identified by India. Our reactor designers at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and NPCIL have completed the design of a 900 MW reactor using enriched uranium as fuel, designated as the Indian Pressurised Water Reactor (IPWR). Our industry is keen to mobilise and build up the capacity to make components for this design. Enriched uranium fuel can be sourced from international suppliers, as such reactors can be placed under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. By about 2025 or so, India may itself supply enriched uranium from its own enrichment facilities. The government’s push for 10 IPWRs will secure India a position of nuclear power plant supplier not only for application in India, but also as a potential exporter. While our earlier plans on expanding nuclear power have not materialised, the alternative plan suggested now, which envisages building 28 units with a total capacity of about 25,000 MW in 15 years from now, can still ensure that nuclear power remains an important part of our strategy to minimise carbon emissions in the long run. Connecting the dots: Critically analyse the need for making India independent in nuclear energy capabilities. Throw light on the recent progress of nuclear development in India. Between nuclear and renewable energy, which is the suitable energy for a sustainable energy scenario in India? Comment on the power crises in India. MUST READ Where the jobs are: on the unemployment rate Hindu Triple talaq issue: The courts and matters of faith Hindu How to build the new city Indian Express Aadhaar, then and now Indian Express Civil society and state must join hands to battle sexual crimes against children Indian Express Big Data’s big governance impact Livemint   Rural consumers are not urban’s poorer cousins Livemint Hidden peril Business Line   Sharing Teesta’s a murky business Business Line  

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