Arora IAS

The Hindu Editorials

Mains Sure Shot

GS-2 or GS-3

Question-Critically analyse the ongoing India-US trade discord and suggest the viable options.(250 words)

Context- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent statement in New Delhi.

Present scenario:

USA is India’s largest trading partner.
But right from 2018, US has taken several unilateral actions against India’s exports.
India has recently announced retaliatory move of increasing tariffs on 28 products imported from the US.
India has become Tump’s most significant target after China.

US demand: ●Greater market access and removal of trade barriers in economic relationship.

Note that these demands are a based on the investigational findings of two US agencies- USTR (United States Trade Representative) and the USITC (United States International Trade Commission).
They had conducted investigation of India’s trade policies in 2013 and 2015.
But here India can raise 3 issues of- propriety, procedures and substance.
These three need to be understood by the government so as to prepare an appropriate response.

Propriety- It broadly means correct and acceptable behaviour. Here the investigations done by the US about India’s trade policies were done unilaterally i.e. solely based on its own domestic laws and that cannot be allowed in an age of multilateralism, where differences in policies between sovereign countries must be resolved in appropriate multilateral forums.

This way of a stronger power to use its hegemony and resort to unilateral means should be eliminated.
it was to uphold this spirit of materialism that GATT was established as an integral part of the post-global economic governance. (GATT was later replaced by WTO in 1995). so that any trade related dispute would be discussed in this multilateral forum.
Both the issues that US investigated about India’s trade policy were covered under WTO.
Therefore, according to propriety and global trade rules the American business concerns about India’s policies had to be discussed in the WTO through consultations among the WTO members.
USA by avoiding the multilateral forum is only pushing itself into trade wars with different countries and this was one factor that had led to the economic depression of 1930s.

Following this, another issue that India has to rise is of procedure of conducting investigations. Because USA surpassed the WTO as an agency through which such investigations were to be carried out but instead the US government agencies were acting as not only investigators but also judge and jury to decide what actions to take against India.

And the third issue is of substance because the investigations touch trade related issues that are covered by WTO agreements.

Conclusion- The India-US trade discord over trade stems from the deep-seated desire of US businesses to have a bigger footprint in Indian economy and to achieve this goal it is going beyond legitimate means. It is a complete disregard to the rule of law.

Way ahead- The government of India will have to focus on 2 fronts- 1. to remain engaged with its largest trade partner and 2. to also engage actively with the global community to make the US understand the imperatives of a rule-based trading system.

Arora IAS, [01.07.19 18:00]

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot (1st july 2019)

GS-3

Question- In the view of the securities market in India, critically analyse SEBI’s new guidelines for mutual fund companies. (200 Words)

Context- SEBI regulations for mutual funds.

What is SEBI?

The securities and exchange board of India is the regulator of the securities market in India. Its main function is to see the orderly functioning of the stock market and protecting the investors against any fraud.
It has statutory powers through the SEBI Act,1992 and can issue guidelines to companies and credit rating agencies alike.
Last month SEBI had issued strict guidelines to the credit rating agencies as they were seen guarding the interests of the issuers more than investors.
This time SEBI has issued guidelines for the management of mutual funds.

What are mutual funds?

It is a professionally managed investment fund where many investors put their money and the professionals then invest the money in securities and they share the returns.
Mutual fund industry came under SEBI scanner because in the last few months some mutual fund companies postponed redemption of their fixed maturity plans (FMPs).

To maintain the confidence of the investors in the securities market, SEBI came up with certain guidelines for the investors:

The mutual fund schemes will have to invest at least 20% of their fund in liquid assets like government securities.
They cannot invest more than 20% of their total assets in any one sector (currently the cap is 25%). Further in such sectors as housing and finance the cap is 10%.
SEBI has banned mutual fund companies from entering into any standstill agreements with companies.
It has also required that assets of mutual funds to be valued on market to market basis in order to better reflect the value of their investments.

Benefits:

It will ensure the confidence of the investors in mutual funds.
Mandatory investment in government securities will ensure liquidity.
The cap on investment in any one sector will discipline the funds and force them to diversify their risk.

Way forward:

The new guidelines of SEBI must be welcomed but it should also keep in mind that some investors are at times willing to take high risk for higher return so too much intervention is also not good.

GS-1 or GS-2 or GS-4

Question- Analyse the debate around free travel to women in public transport.(250 words)

Context- AAP governments proposal for free transport to women in buses and metros.

Present scenario:

It has not been tested anywhere in India before.
It is a gender-based public transport fare subsidy programme.
Some claim it will protect and liberate women while others claim that it is financially unviable and unfair.
Cities across the world provide public transport fare subsidies to all or some citizens to encourage them to use public transport or to ease their travel cost burdens. E.g. Singapore offers discount to rail commuters who are willing to travel before morning rush-hours and Berlin offered women 21% ticket discount for one day in March this year to highlight the gender wage gap.
In India however urban transport fare discounts are less common.

Analysis-

Article 13 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises freedom of movement as a basic human right.
If we consider transportation as a fundamental social need and providing mobility for transportation to the disadvantaged as our collective responsibility, then any urban transport policy should include subsidies targeted at disadvantaged.
Public transport may even need to be free for some. e.g. women.

Why?

Women in India travel far less than men and travel has a significant impact on their education, employment and enjoyment. E.g. In Delhi, a study found that women, unlike men, chose low ranked colleges with safe and reliable transport access.
similarly 60% of women workers in India chose to work from home or at a place which is less than a km from home, according to 2011 census.
Wage discrimination, gender segregation in employment, household labour divisions contribute to inequality in transportation.
Also since men’s jobs are considered more valuable, they tend to own the household vehicles to commute while women choose to opt for slower commute options to save expenses.
When Delhi metro increased fare last year, around 70% women surveyed choose to opt for a less safer travel option for work or travel less.
Thus, compromise on education and job for travel purpose is one of the reasons for women earning less than men, leaving the workforce, and consequently being more cash poor than men.
Finally, limited money to travel also means that women are willing to forego hospital visits, significantly affecting their health.
So free or discounted travel for women is likely to benefit women who might consider taking up jobs which they are better suited for but farther away from home.

But who will bear the cost?

2 questions arise- who will pay for the subsidies and will such subsidy make it difficult for public transport to achieve other goals like reducing car use and cleaning up the air?
First, personal motorised vehicle travel is highly subsidised globally including India and car amd two-wheeler users do not pay for full costs their travel choices inflict on society in form of traffic congestion, environment pollution, and distributions in urban form.
Clean fuel and shared travel in cars can reduce but not eliminate the coats.

Way ahead-

Indian cities must consider pricing intervention such as congestion charges and higher petrol taxes so that private driving costs better reflect full social cost.
Such measures will discourage driving and can help governments generate funds for expanding and operating cleaner public transportation.
Revenue generated by charging personalised motor travel will help make up subsidised cost.
Also, women who feel that free travel policy treats them as lesser citizens must be given the option to opt out of this policy.
This debate should not be confined to Delhi only all cities should consider the issue.

GS-2

Question- Are higher wages linked to improved performance of teachers? Analyse in context of India. (250 words)

Context-Bhutan’s new policy announcement.

Why in news? –

Bhutan has made a recent policy announce which if implemented, Bhutan’s teachers, doctors and other medical staff will earn more than civil servants of corresponding grades.

No other country has accorded teachers and doctors such pride both in terms of remuneration and symbolism.
The Gross National Happiness Commission which is Bhutan’s highest policy making body plans a strategy to achieve desired national outcomes through education by “making teaching a profession of choice”.
This will also help the country achieve its human development objectives.

But the question arises whether improving the status of teaching profession positively influences the educational outcomes?

The OECD’s (Organisation for Economic cooperation and Development) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study that measures and compares student’s ability in reading, mathematics, science and global competence. Accordingly, it ranks educational systems of countries. A study of these ranks of various countries have shown a distinct relationship between student outcomes and the status its teachers enjoy.
Also, The Global Teacher Status index 2018 survey done across 35 countries shows a relation between higher wages to improve a teacher’s status.
Bhutan’s policy if implemented can after few years be taken for critical evaluation.

What are the fiscal implications for implementing any such policy?

Bhutan spends 7.5% of its GDP on education.
Generally, teachers constitute a considerable portion of government employees.
So, if any country tries to emulate Bhutan’s lead it will be faced with financial questions.

So, can India afford such a policy?

India now spends only 3% of its GDP on education.
The NITI Aayog in its report last year recommended that India should raise this to 6% of GDP.
But in India there are other concerns-

A World Bank study found that teacher absenteeism in India was nearly 24% which costs the country about $ 1.5 billion annually.

Absenteeism can be result of many factors such as teachers taking up a second job to boost incomes, providing parental or nursing care at home in absence of support systems, or lacking motivation.

Need in India-

Giving enviable income to teachers but along with unspring accountability can mitigate many ills that plague the education system.
This will also attract the best minds to the teaching profession.
Government need to increase their spending on education.
No investment that is done to raise an educated, healthy and responsible community is too high for any society.
Ultimately there is a need for political will and not short-term GDP minded approach.

GS-1 or GS-4

Question- As violence becomes the norm, is Gandhi to show the way? Explain (200 Words)

Context- The growing incidence of mob violence in our country.

The scenario-

As the everyday incidents of violence are on the rise, it is time for us to reclaim the space of non-violence that is under relentless attack by murderers who kill, photograph and celebrate killings.

What violence does to a society?

The power of violence over human beings cannot be underrated. It is not a weapon that one picks up and discards at will. It has long-term implications.
It is a quagmire that relentlessly sucks people into its murky depths and when violence holds individuals and groups in thrall, moral disintegration follows.
Being mute spectators to violence means we are at the consuming end of these nauseating acts even if we don’t want.

What is the way?

It is recreating satyagraha.
When protests, writing petitions, assemble, record of our disgust are failing to bring any outcome, it is for the civil society to stand up and recreate Gandhi’s notion of satyagraha.
Satyagraha is a form of non-violent protest where the satyagrahi endures all pain for a broader cause.
It emphasises self-suffering rather than making another person suffer. This mode of politics impacts the collective consciousness.
The people begin to reflect on and analyse the injustice to which their fellow citizens have been subjected to, an injustice that needs to be battled, they also come to think about the methods that should be used to battle these injustices.
In the process they are politicised and motivated to act.
They start acting as agents of change rather than consuming violence.
And this is what is needed today.
Gandhiji felt this was revolutionary because public opinion becomes a vital force, challenges the injustice and challenges the government for its acts of omission.
And in this process if required the satyagrahi must be willing to accept all punishment.

Need-

Following these footsteps the civil society has to reinvent Gandhi, not as a Mahatma but as a political philosopher who guides us in our struggle against the senseless violence that has crushed our sentiments and our solidarities.

GS-2

Question- Highlight the need for police reforms and the way ahead. Explain (200 words)

Context- Increased incidences of suicides by police personnel.

Why in news?

On May 2018, senior Maharashtra IPS officer Himanshu Roy committed suicide due to cancer and resultant depression.
In September 2018 another IPS officer Surendra Kumar Das committed suicide due to ‘family issues’.
Similarly, Ajay Kumar of Delhi police was suffering from depression and ended his life on 4th April this year.
These are just few instances, 940 police personnel committed suicide till Dec 2018.
In this backdrop there is a serious need to revisit the debate on police reforms.

What can be the issues?

No fixed hours of duty. They are considered to be on duty all the time. This deprives them of the luxury of spending time with their families. This leads to family conflicts.
They have to be on duty during festivals to ensure peace.
K. Annamalai, a 2011 batch IPS officer of Karnataka cadre, resigned from service recently stating that though he enjoyed the challenges of being a police officer, he missed many important functions and “the small things in life”.
Denial of leave due to operation requirements which often warrant a full-strength force to deal with varied law and order problems, leading at times to frustration.

Present scenario-

So, while we may blame the officers for suicides, there needs to be a closer look at the operation of the system as well.
There are large vacancies in police forces, resting huge responsibility on available police personnel.
Also, health of the police personnel has taken a toll due to erratic working hours and lack of physical exercises.
Many of them suffer from stress related diseases such as depression and obesity.
Unable to cope they end their lives.

Way forward-

The government needs to take multi prolonged steps with urgency.
The acute shortage of personnel needs to be filled.
Senior officers need to identify personnel with deviant behaviour and put them to counselling sessions.
Frequent conversation between officers and subordinates will help subordinate air the grievances freely. It may even prevent a suicide attempt.

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot ( 03 July 2019)

GS-2

Question- Is Mr. Trump’s visit to North Korea a vital step towards new U.S.- N. Korea ties? Analysis (200 words)

Context- President Trump’s visit to North Korea.

The U.S. President Donald Trump made history when he stepped on the North Korean soil from the demilitarised zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas.
He is the only U.S. President to have visited N.Korea.
Both the leaders decided to resume the parleys that have settled since the two leaders failed summit in Hanoi.

What does the visit mean?

It means infusing fresh life into nuclear negotiations with N.Korea.

But what are the key challenges?

Though Kim has decided to denuclearise the peninsula, there is no decision on when and how it will be done.
N.Korea has agreed to close down the Yongbyon facility, its main nuclear fuel production site but this US has rejected this offer saying N.Korea’s nuclear capability is now much more diversified and goes beyond one plant.
N.Korea is agreeing to denuclearise partially because it wants a partial reprieve from sanctions.
But if the U.S. rigidly sticks to its demand of total denuclearisation, then the meeting won’t be very fruitful.

Need-

Both sides need to learn from their past failures.
they should take small steps towards the final goal.
The U.S. can demand a total freeze, not complete close down, on N.Korea’s nuclear activities, besides shutting down Yongbyon which N.Korea has already agreed to, in return for providing partial reprieve from sanctions.
Slow confidence building measures is required.

The Hindu Daily Editorials ( 05th July 2019) Mains Sure Shot

GS-3

Question- Trace India’s journey in space technology and show ways of expanding India’s share in global space economy. Discuss (250 words)

Context – The growing ‘New Space’ in India.

India’s space programme began from 1960s and has achieved significant milestones.
These include fabrication of satellites, space launch vehicles and a range of associated capabilities.

At present-

ISRO’s annual budget has crossed rupees 10,000 crores, growing steadily from rupees 6,000 crores five years ago.
However demand for space-based services in India is far greater than what ISRO can supply.
Hence private sector investment is critical and for this a suitable policy environment needs to be created.
Also a national legislation is needed to ensure overall growth of the space sector.

ISRO’s thrust areas and progress-

ISRO was established in 1969 and from then on its path has been guided by a mission and vision that covers both societal objectives and the thrust areas.

1.First area was of satellite communication, with INSAT and GSAT, to address the nation’s need for telecommunication, broadcasting and broadband infrastructure.

Gradually came bigger satellites carrying a large array of transponders (a transponder is a wireless communications, monitoring and control device that picks up and automatically responds to an incoming signal) to provide services linked to areas like telecommunication, telemedicine, broadband, radio, disaster management and search and rescue services.

The second area of focus was- earth observation satellites and using space based imagery for a slew of national demands, ranging from weather forecasting to mapping and planning. With higher resolution and precise positioning, GIS (Geographical Information Systems) applications today cover all aspects of rural and urban development and planning.
The third and more recent focus area is – satellite aided navigation. E.g. the GPS-aided GOE augmented navigation (GAGAN), a joint project between ISRO and Airports Authority of India, augmented the GPS coverage of the region, improving the accuracy and integrity, primarily for civil aviation applications and better air traffic management over Indian airspace.
With growing confidence, ISRO undertook more ambitious space science projects like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan missons, and a first manned space mission Gaganyaan is on the way, planned for its first flight in 2021.

But these missions are not just technological demonstrations but also for expanding the frontiers of knowledge in space sciences.

Position of India and the Global Developments-

At present the value of the global space industry is estimated to be $ 350 billion and this is likely to increase to $ 550 billion by 2025.
In this, despite ISRO’s impressive capabilities, India’s share is only $ 7billion (just 2% of the global market).
And most of it comes from broadband, Direct-to-Home television(2/3rd. share), satellite imagery and navigation. And 1/3rd. of the transponders used in Indian services are leased from foreign satellites.
Development of AI and big data analytics has led to the emergence of ‘New Space’ – a disruptive dynamic based on end-to-end efficiency conerpts, or, simply it refers to the commercialisation of the space sector.

‘New Space’ in India-

In India a parallel to the development of ‘New Space’ has been the independent app developers, who given access to Android and apple platforms, revolution arised smart phone usage.
New Space entrepreneurship has emerged in India with about 2dozen start-ups who are not enamoured of the traditional vendor/supplier model but see value in exploring end-to-end services in Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer segments.
However, at present there is no regulatory clarity, which is very essential for start-ups to take off.

Need/How to increase India’s share in global space economy-

The New Space start-ups are the future to be explored.
They discern a synergy with government’s flagship programmes like Digital India, Start-up India, Skill India and schemes like Smart Cities Mission.

They cam play a role as data-app builders between the data seller (i.e. ISRO/Antrix. Antrix is ISRO’s commercial arm which oversees marketing of ISRO’s products and transfer of technology partnerships) and the end user, taking advantage of the talent pool, innovation competence and the technology know-how.

But for the development to their full potential they need an enabling ecosystem, a culture of accelerators, incubators, venture capitalists and mentors that exist in cities like Bengaluru, which is where most of the New Space start-ups have mushroomed.
Also there needs to be clear rules and regulations.
The all-encompassing dominant role of ISRO/Antrix as operator, licensor, rule-maker, and service provider needs to be diluted.
Another revolution underway is the small satellite revolution. Globally 17,000 small satellites are expected to be launched by 2030. ISRO too is developing small satellites but there is also the need to give it the responsibility of AIT (Applied Information Technology) activities.
Years ago ISRO had put forward the idea of Village Resource Centres (to provide the space based services directly to rural areas) to work in collaboration with local panchayats and NGOs but till now not much progress has been made in this regard.
Expanding Village Resource Centres to rural India as a part of the India Stack and the Jan Dhan Yojana has the potential to transform rural India.
With the Ministry of Defence setting up its own Defence Space Agency and Defence Space Research Organisation, ISRO should take up a civilian identity i.e. should separate its sphere to specialization in advancement of civilian related technology.
There is also a need for New Space law with a clear aim and,
A partnership needs to be developed between ISRO, the established private sector and the New Space entrepreneurs.

The Hindu Daily Editorials ( 04th July 2019) Mains Sure Shot

GS-3

Question- Critically analyse current economic downside and suggest the way ahead.(250 words)

Context- Maiden budget of Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman.

The present scenario-

The GDP growth is faultering. It fell to 5.8% in fourth quarter of 2018-19.
There is a consumption slowdown. The sale of automobiles has been sliding since October last year.
Sales volume are down by 18%
Real estate and construction, one of the biggest job creators are down, which are a direct cause of credit freeze in the market now.

Challenges-

The economy needs a stimulus and the Budget has to push for growth while ensuring fiscal responsibility i.e. its fiscal deficit target.
This balance is difficult to achieve because in India tax revenues do not offer enough support for a stimulus package (which means that the money that the government makes through taxes is not enough to meet its extra expenses. so to stimulate it will have to borrow which will hit the fiscal deficit target).

The question is whether the government should go for stimulating consumption and temporarily keep aside fiscal deficit target? And if yes then what is the best way to do it?

Because government borrowing and spending again has some subsidiary consequences like-

It might crowd out private sector borrowers and push up market interest rates at a time when monetary authority is driving rates down.
It might lead to inflation.

Or should it be in the form of even higher spending on infrastructure that will have definite fiscal spinoffs?
And in such case what will be its effect on welfare spending? Will the government cut its welfare spending?
The government has already announced expansion of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna that will cost 87,500 crore rupees this fiscal year. And there are many other schemes that need to be funded.

So, what is the way out?

Going for asset sales which include selling off certain government companies.
One-time transfer from RBI reserves, which is under consideration of Bimal Jalan Committee. But the committee will submit its report after the budget.
5G spectrum sale options But here too not much can be expected because the telecom companies are themselves suffering from combined effects of past excesses and bruising competition in the market.
So the only option that is viable is of borrowing, which means exceeding the fiscal deficit target of 3.4%. But this has its own negative effects as discussed earlier.
One good thing is SEBI’s recent directives to the mutual fund companies to invest at least 20% of their liquid scheme investment in government securities. So this opens a new way of getting money but it is not enough.

Also there is a question of credit rating agencies like Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. The government needs to assure them of its fiscal discipline and that these measures are temporary aberration.

Need-

At this backdrop the viable option can be to readjust the income tax slab and let more money be in the hands of the consumers.
A decrease in interest of housing loans to boost real estate sector.
And though the choice to borrow and spend has some negative consequences but in the current circumstances this may be inevitable.

The Hindu Daily Editorials ( 04th July 2019) Mains Sure Shot

GS-2 or GS-3

Question- In the backdrop of the U.S. cyberattack on Iran, can India conduct similar retaliatory attack in future against Pakistan?Discuss ( 200 words)

Context – U.S- Iran tension.

Why in news?

When the US drone was shot down by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US cybercommand conducted online attacks against Iran.
It is speculated that the strikes targeted Iran’s military command and systems such as those that control Iran’s missile and rocket launchers.

What is India’s standard response to an attack?

Presently the response of India has been air strikes and ground based surgical strikes, or stand-off strikes from inside the borders and covert operations.
Before we include another type of operation namely cyber-attack in this group it is important to keep 3 criteria’s in mind- pre- emption, non-military nature and deterrence.

Pre-emption – i.e. India should be able to argue and justify any such operation on international forums.
Non-military nature- It should be able to make clear the operational aim has never been to target the Pakistani people or even Pakistan’s military.
Deterrence – The operation should create such an impact that it creates deterrence.

Is it possible against Pakistan?

The US cybercommand was specifically aimed at targeting Iran’s military installations. But if India conducts a cyber strike against Pakistan’s military command or systems it will be termed as one against Pakistan and not non-military nature.
So, the first two i.e. pre-emption and non-military nature will be viewed through the perspective of attacking Pakistani military and Pakistan in essence. so, it will render them futile.
Further, a counter strike against Pakistan can call for counter-cyber strikes. So instead of deterrence it will lead to escalation.
So, in such a situation all or most of the criteria won’t be met. Hence, a cyber strike is not a feasible retaliatory option for India at present.

Possibility-

Today most of the terrorist groups use computers and internet for propaganda. We don’t know the ability of Indian armed forces to conduct such cyber operation and that should be maintained else it takes away the element of surprise.

(Long article but Important)

GS-3

Question- Trace India’s journey in space technology and show ways of expanding India’s share in global space economy. Discuss (250 words)

Context – The growing ‘New Space’ in India.

India’s space programme began from 1960s and has achieved significant milestones.
These include fabrication of satellites, space launch vehicles and a range of associated capabilities.

At present-

ISRO’s annual budget has crossed rupees 10,000 crores, growing steadily from rupees 6,000 crores five years ago.
However demand for space-based services in India is far greater than what ISRO can supply.
Hence private sector investment is critical and for this a suitable policy environment needs to be created.
Also a national legislation is needed to ensure overall growth of the space sector.

ISRO’s thrust areas and progress-

ISRO was established in 1969 and from then on its path has been guided by a mission and vision that covers both societal objectives and the thrust areas.

1.First area was of satellite communication, with INSAT and GSAT, to address the nation’s need for telecommunication, broadcasting and broadband infrastructure.

Gradually came bigger satellites carrying a large array of transponders (a transponder is a wireless communications, monitoring and control device that picks up and automatically responds to an incoming signal) to provide services linked to areas like telecommunication, telemedicine, broadband, radio, disaster management and search and rescue services.

The second area of focus was- earth observation satellites and using space based imagery for a slew of national demands, ranging from weather forecasting to mapping and planning. With higher resolution and precise positioning, GIS (Geographical Information Systems) applications today cover all aspects of rural and urban development and planning.
The third and more recent focus area is – satellite aided navigation. E.g. the GPS-aided GOE augmented navigation (GAGAN), a joint project between ISRO and Airports Authority of India, augmented the GPS coverage of the region, improving the accuracy and integrity, primarily for civil aviation applications and better air traffic management over Indian airspace.
With growing confidence, ISRO undertook more ambitious space science projects like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan missons, and a first manned space mission Gaganyaan is on the way, planned for its first flight in 2021.

But these missions are not just technological demonstrations but also for expanding the frontiers of knowledge in space sciences.

Position of India and the Global Developments-

At present the value of the global space industry is estimated to be $ 350 billion and this is likely to increase to $ 550 billion by 2025.
In this, despite ISRO’s impressive capabilities, India’s share is only $ 7billion (just 2% of the global market).
And most of it comes from broadband, Direct-to-Home television(2/3rd. share), satellite imagery and navigation. And 1/3rd. of the transponders used in Indian services are leased from foreign satellites.
Development of AI and big data analytics has led to the emergence of ‘New Space’ – a disruptive dynamic based on end-to-end efficiency conerpts, or, simply it refers to the commercialisation of the space sector.

‘New Space’ in India-

In India a parallel to the development of ‘New Space’ has been the independent app developers, who given access to Android and apple platforms, revolution arised smart phone usage.
New Space entrepreneurship has emerged in India with about 2dozen start-ups who are not enamoured of the traditional vendor/supplier model but see value in exploring end-to-end services in Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer segments.
However, at present there is no regulatory clarity, which is very essential for start-ups to take off.Need/How to increase India’s share in global space economy-

The New Space start-ups are the future to be explored.
They discern a synergy with government’s flagship programmes like Digital India, Start-up India, Skill India and schemes like Smart Cities Mission.

But for the development to their full potential they need an enabling ecosystem, a culture of accelerators, incubators, venture capitalists and mentors that exist in cities like Bengaluru, which is where most of the New Space start-ups have mushroomed.
Also there needs to be clear rules and regulations.
The all-encompassing dominant role of ISRO/Antrix as operator, licensor, rule-maker, and service provider needs to be diluted.
Another revolution underway is the small satellite revolution. Globally 17,000 small satellites are expected to be launched by 2030. ISRO too is developing small satellites but there is also the need to give it the responsibility of AIT (Applied Information Technology) activities.
Years ago ISRO had put forward the idea of Village Resource Centres (to provide the space based services directly to rural areas) to work in collaboration with local panchayats and NGOs but till now not much progress has been made in this regard.
Expanding Village Resource Centres to rural India as a part of the India Stack and the Jan Dhan Yojana has the potential to transform rural India.
With the Ministry of Defence setting up its own Defence Space Agency and Defence Space Research Organisation, ISRO should take up a civilian identity i.e. should separate its sphere to specialization in advancement of civilian related technology.
There is also a need for New Space law with a clear aim and,
A partnership needs to be developed between ISRO, the established private sector and the New Space entrepreneurs.

(Point should be Noted that – this budget Not so important for UPSC 2020 Aspirants However its very important for 2019 Mains Aspirants)

Q- why is not important for UPSC CSE 2020 Aspirants ?

Becz we have another budget in feb 2020 ( samjhe bacha 😊 )

Before we begin, to get a holistic view,
Please go through the 4th July Mains Sure Shot question where we discussed the present state of the Indian economy and the way ahead.

This is the first time that the budget has been presented by a full-time female Finance Minister. Earlier this post was held briefly by Mrs. Indira Gandhi (1970-71) when Moraji Desai resigned.

Targets set by the budget:

In her maiden budget the FM has set for the economy a target that she aims to achieve by 2024.

To make India a $ 5 trillion economy and,
This economy would be marked by – widely dispersed social and physical infrastructure; low-carbon footprint; housing for all; and other desirable things for a flourishing economy.

Sector wise highlights:

Economy-

Fiscal Deficit target has been reduced to 3.3% of GDP in the financial year 2019-20, lower than 3.4% estimated in the interim budget. But given the condition of the economy which needs a fiscal stimulus, this can be difficult to achieve.

With a view to boost digital payment, the government has proposed a tax on cash withdrawals exceeding rupees one crore in one year.

As mention in the answer of 4th July, the Indian economy needs a fiscal stimulus and for it the government needs to boost investment and not only from the private sector but it itself needs to raise money and spend. So disinvestment was suggested as an option. And just as we assumed the government has set a target to raise 1.05 lakh crores through disinvestment. (e.g. Air India).

The government also made it clear that it plans to borrow in foreign currency from external market. This will ease the pressure on domestic market that is facing a supply glut. So, the domestic lenders will have more money to lend to the private investors.

In order to improve the peoples (investors) confidence in the NBFCs, which is facing a crisis, the government has decided to bring NBFCs under tight control of RBI and also announced additional liquidity of 1.34 lakh crores to the NBFC sector.

As discussed in the answer of 4th July, in order to infuse more capital into the economy, the government has planned to provide 70,000 crore capital infusion to the public sector banks. This will enable them to give more loans hence, putting money in the market.

In case of farmers, the budget of the Agriculture Ministry has been almost doubled. But it is mostly directed towards schemes like PM-KISAN and PM-AASHA.

There is a discontent that there has been no drought relief.
Also, stress was given on ‘zero budget’ farming or organic farming.

Taxes:

The budget proposes a hike in income tax on rich.
There is a hike in surcharge on taxable income from 2crore to 5crore by 3% and 5crore and above by 7%.

3.The budget has proposed hiking the duty and cess on petrol mad diesel by rupees 2 per/litre.

Aadhar has been made interchangeable with PAN for filing tax returns. This means that those who do not have PAN can file income tax return by using their Aadhar.
Very important, to encourage start-ups in the country the government has eased angel tax norms.
To give push to MSMEs, the companies with an annual turnover of 400 crores will pay corporate tax at the rate of 25%. Earlier this rate was applied to companies who had a turnover of up to 250 crores.

Also, a scheme has been proposed for providing loans of up to 1crore within 59 mins through a dedicated online portal to MSMEs.
this has been called ‘turning dwarfs (MSMEs) into giants’.

To encourage domesting printing and publishing industry 10% import duty has been applied on newsprint and 5% on printed books.
The government has also hiked import duty on precious metals like gold and silver, making them dearer.

Investor:

For the equity market the budget turned out to be a mixed bag. On one hand the investors cheered positives such as easier investment regime envisaged for foreign investors and recapitalisation of banks and simpler Securities Transaction Tax (STT).
On the other there was gloom at a proposal that would force companies to dilute promoter holding.
The government recognised Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) as key source of capital to the economy and hence decided to make KYC norms more investor friendly.

Infrastructure:

The governments was to push for a PPP model for the railways.
Also very importantly there is a drive to promote e-mobility. Income tax deduction of 1.5 lakh has been proposed for loans taken to purchase electric vehicles.

Also, customs duty will be exempted on import of certain parts of electric vehicles.

The minister also called for port-led development by giving emphasis on using inland waterways for transport of cargo.
There was no change in defence allocation.
Stress was given on disinvesting the loss-making Air India.
Ambitious plans have also been set in the aviation sector to make India a MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) hub for aircrafts.

Social:

Special emphasis has been given on research and development (R&D) as it is crucial for the progress of any country.

The government has decided to establish a National Research Foundation to fund and promote research in various fields and this is a very welcome step as R&D spending in India has stagnated over the years to only 0.65% of GDP.

With the vision of the PM to supply all rural households with piped water supply by 2024, the budget for National Rural Drinking Water mission has been doubled, though no special fund has been announced for Jal Jeevan Mission scheme and it has been punched with other schemes.
As an important step the government has decided to replace multiple labour laws with only 4 labour codes. This will enhance ease of doing business.
To push for Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states despite an opposition to this proposal that was set by the draft National Education Policy 2019, rupees 50 crore has been allotted to support the appointment of Hindi teachers in non-Hindi speaking states and Urdu teachers in any locality where 25% of the population is from Urdu speaking locality.
As we had assumed in the answer of 4th July, the proportion of funds for some development and social welfare schemes has come down like MGNREGS, Ganga clean-up, school education and rural development, while for others like higher education has gone up.
For giving a push to ‘Housing for All’ tax deductions have been announced for interest paid on loans for houses up to rupees 45lakh.
Also major stress has been given on providing every rural family with electricity and clean cooking facility by 2022.
But no fresh announcements were made in health sector. Though funds allotted to this sector has been hiked. This is positive because the already existing schemes can work more effectively. One scheme with proper implementation is better than ten schemes with poor performance.
The budget allocation for Women and Child Development Ministry was increased by 17.7%.

The government wants a shift from ‘women-centric initiatives’ to ‘women-led initiatives.
Another welcoming step was the proposal of setting up a committee to access budgetary allocation through gender lens.

Foreign Affairs:

In terms of foreign affairs a change in governments priorities can be seen.
The funds for building activities in the crucial port of Chabahar in Iran has been reduced while funding for projects in Bhutan has been hiked.
Afghanistan’s allocations have also come down while those of Nepal and Mauritius have remained someone same.
For other regional allocations like those in Latin America, Brazil and Argentina too have been reduced.
India has also cut its contribution to the UN to 275 crores from 307 crores but has increased its contribution to BIMSTEC.

Brief overview-

Overall the budget tries to stick to its fiscal deficit target.
The aim of a $ 5 trillion economy has been fixed but the means through which it will be achieved has not clear.
At present investment is the key requirement in the economy, public investment is required to stimulate private investment, more capital expenditure could have been done in this regard.
To summarise, the budget is clear about what we would like to see India, right from water connection to roads. But mire clarity was needed on how we would achieve them.

What is the ‘nudge theory’?

The nudge theory is in news because the economic survey urged using the behavioural economics ‘ nudge’ for achieving socio economic goals.

So, what is it?

Richard Thaler is called the father of the ‘nudge theory’. He even got the Nobel economics prize for this.
It is a concept of behavioural economics. About how to influence people’s behaviours without forcing/ telling them what to do and what not. Basically, to influence them to do what you want them to do by understanding how they think.
Let us understand it by 2 examples-

Organ donation- In Spain, the government, to encourage people to opt for organ donation, made a law by which all the citizens are automatically registered as organ donors unless they choose to opt-out. So instead of asking people to opt for organ donation, the government simply gave them the option to opt-out. This is called the opt-out system of nudge theory and this worked compared to when people were asked to do it themselves.
Another example is of an American grocery store called Pay and Save. They placed green arrows on the floor leading to fruits and vegetables. They found that shoppers followed the arrows 9times out of 10 and their sale of vegetables increased.

There are many other interesting examples of the nudge theory.
The crux of the theory is that, it is not about making people do something by force by penalising them if they dont act in a certain way but to make it easier for them to take a particular decision.
At times the nudge theory has been criticised to be paternalistic i.e. trying to influence peoples behaviour just like parents do to their kids, thinking they cant decide for themselves.
But whatever it may be the nudge theory has proved to be very effective worldwide and is worth using more and more for constructive purposes.

The Hindu Sunday Editorials ( 07th july 2019) Mains Sure Shot

GS-1 or GS-2

Question- In context of NRC in Assam, discuss what is RIIN? and what are the issues concerning it?( 200 Words)

Context- A register of indigenous inhabitants being prepared in Nagaland.

What is RIIN?

The Naga government is initiating an exercise to prepare a master list of all indigenous inhabitants of the State.
They are calling the list RIIN i.e. Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland.
It is sort of a localised version of National Register of Citizens that is being updated in Assam.

What is the objective of RIIN?

As stated by the government, it is to prevent people from acquiring fake indigenous inhabitants’ certificate.
Note- If people other than the indigenous people visit Nagaland, they need an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to do so.

So what is Inner Line Permit?

It is a temporary travel document an Indian citizen has to possess to enter ‘protected’ areas of the Northeast.
It is issued by the Central government.
The history of ILP dates back to the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, which restricted the entry of ‘British subjects’ into these areas primarily to protect British interests in tea and oil in these regions.
These have continued even now to protect the tribal cultures in north-eastern region and to regulate the movement of people in certain areas near the international border.
Presently the ILP is applicable to the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and in Nagaland (except Nagaland’s commercial hub Dimapur).

How will RIIN be prepared?

The idea is not new. In the past civil society groups in Nagaland have often conducted house-to-house surveys for listing non-Nagas and IBIs (Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants).
RIIN will be the first ‘official’ master list.
The list will be based on extensive surveys, checking official records of rural and urban wards and it will be supervised by district and is scheduled to be completed within 60days.
The active members of the team will be sub-divisional officers, block development officers, school headmasters and other nominated members. They will visit every village and ward to make the list.
The list will be published on government websites and any complains and objections can be filed till October 30. After the RIIN is finalised, a barcoded and numbered Indigenous Inhabitant Certificate (IIC) Card will be issued to all those whose names are on RIIN list. No fresh RIIN will be issued after the RIIN list is finalised except to babies born to indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland.

What are the issues concerning RIIN?

Just like the updating of the NRC list in Assam, making the RIIN list is also not a smooth journey.
Nagaland has 16 indigenous tribes who have been recognised in RIIN.
Other than these 16 tribes, the Gurkhas who have been living in Nagaland prior to statehood (i.e. on December 1, 1963) have also been recognised as indigenous.
But there are other concerns over Nagas from other areas, for e.g. Manipur, who are getting into jobs in Nagaland by claiming to ne indigenous. Who are also buying large swathes of agricultural land in Nagaland?
Another issue is of the Naga custom of adopting new communities such as Sumiya- children of Muslim men and Sumi Naga women- who own cultivable land.
Organisations such as Naga Students’ Federation have raised the is due and demanded accommodating only ‘Nagas by birth and not by adoption’.
So there is a also debate among political parties whether adopted Nagas will be given indigenous rights.
Another pressure group called Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal Immigrants had tried to end this confusion by suggesting that December 1, 1963, should be considered as the cut-off date for considering people other than recognised tribes of Nagaland as indigenous inhabitants.

Gs-3

Question – How can we achieve the target of $5 trillion economy set by the government by 2024?

First thing is when we talk of a $ 5 trillion economy we do so in terms of GDP.
GDP i.e. the final value of the final goods and services produced in an economy.
At present the final value of all the final goods and services produced in India is $ 2.7 trillion and the wants to take this to $ 5trillion by 2024.
So this means that we need to produce more goods and services. And this is possible only if 2 main things are done i.e. saving and investment. Investment is the key.
By saving we mean that if people save more and keep their money in banks then banks can give it to the investors who in turn will set up industries and so more goods will be produces and more people will get jobs.
At present if we calculate the GDP growth of India in percentage terms then we are growing at a rate of 7.5%. If we want to be a $ 5 trillion economy we will have to have a growth rate of atleast 12% in nominal GDP terms and 8% if we see in real GDP terms.
so if we move in a calculated way to meet the growth rate target by taking care of saving and investment we can achieve the target of being a $ 5 trillion economy by 2024.

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot (8th July 2019)

GS-1 or GS-4

Question- Does India’s silence at ILC (International Law Commission) on CAH reflect poorly on its status as a democracy? Explain ( 250 words)

Context- Delhi High Court’s judgement in State v. Sajjan Kumar’s case.

There are many crimes that our criminal law fails to address. Two among which are ‘Crimes against humanity CAH’ and ‘genocide’.
This was pointed by Justice S. Muralidhar of the Delhi HC, while pronouncing judgement in State v. Sajjan Kumar case.
The case concerned are the mass killings of Sikhs during anti-Sikh riots in 1984 in Delhi- and throughout the country.
The court categorically stated that these kind of mass crimes fit into the category of crimes against humanity (CAH).

So what are CAH?

It is defined as a deliberate act, typically as a part of a systematic campaign, that causes human suffering or death on a large scale.

How are CAH dealt with internationally?

Internationally it is the Rome Statute of International Criminal Court (ICC) which deals with CAH.
They are defined as offences such as murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, torture, imprisonment and rape committed as a part of ” widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack”.
India is not a party to the Rome Statute, so it is under no obligation at present to enact a separate legislation dealing with CAH.
India has also not enacted any law regarding genocide, even though it has ratified the Genocide Convention.

Probable reasons why India has not joined the Roman Statue-

The definition of CAH- India was not in favour of using ‘widespread or systematic’ as one of the conditions, as preferring ‘widespread and systematic’ would require a higher threshold of proof.
India also wanted distinction to be made between international and internal armed conflicts. This is because the internal conflicts with Naxals and other non-state actors in Kashmir and Northeast could fall under the scope of CAH.
Their objection was also related to the inclusion of enforced disappearances of persons under CAH. Enforced disappearance is the same as forced disappearance It is when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by the State, political organisation or a third party with the authorization, support or acquiescence of a state or a political organization, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the person’s whereabouts outside the protection of law.

India has signed but not yet ratified the UN International Convention for the Protection of all persons from Enforced Disappearances because it would put the country under an obligation to criminalise it through domestic legislation.

But can these obligations be seen as providing basis for India’s silence to ILC (International Law Commission’s) ongoing work?/

Need-

The Delhi HC while hearing the State v. Sajjan Kumar case also said that “familiar pattern of mass killings” were seen in Mumbai in 1993, in Gujarat in 2002, in Odisha in 2008 and Muzaffarnagar in UP in 2013.
The criminals ” have enjoyed political patronage and managed to evade prosecution”.
India’s silence at the ILC doesn’t go well with its claim of respect for international rules-based order.
Turning a blind eye at mass killings and shielding the perpetrators reflects poorly on India’s status as a democracy.
It would be advisable for India to show political will and engage constructively with the ILC, which would also be helpful in rethinking domestic criminal laws.

GS-3

Question-Is the government focusing too much on maintaining its fiscal deficit target in the midst of an economic downslide? Analyse (200 Words)

Context- Governments resolve to maintain fiscal deficit target.

The Economic Survey clearly states that private investment is the key driver of growth in an economy.
And it also suggests that the government should borrow less from public savings so that more amount is left for private investors.
In the budget this has been reflected where the government has indicated that it will borrow more from the foreign markets so that more cash is available for private investment.
The government has set a present fiscal deficit target of 3.3% of GDP, 3.1% for 2019-20 and 3% for 2020-21.
But the budget shows that revised targets have been missed so far.

Why is it so?

The reason was that, that the government has reduced its expenditure on major subsidies (i.e. food, fertiliser and petroleum) from 2% of GDP spent on these to 1.4% but, new items have emerged which were not there before like PM-Kisan scheme will which will cost the government 75,000 crores in 2019-20.
Also, tax to GDP ratio has been a big disappointment i.e. GDP is growing but comparatively the tax collection/ revenue of the government is not growing.
There was an expectation that following demonetisation and GST, both direct and indirect taxes would rise but this did not happen.
The 2018-19 had projected the tax to GDP ratio to rise from 11.6% in 2017-18 and 12.1% in 2018-19 and further to 12.4% in 2019-20. But the present budget of 2019-20 has dashed these hopes.
The shortfall in GST collections in 2018-19 seems to have set the clock back for fiscal consolidation.

So how does the government to balance the fiscal numbers/ maintain the fixed deficit target?

Disinvestment and sale of land belonging to the government including public sector enterprises (PSEs). But then it has to be kept in that selling assets to balance the budget is not the solution. It merely defers the problem to the future. This must be addressed to achieve fiscal sustainability.
The government had set up the Bimal Jalan committee on economic capital framework for the RBI. But this has not been made public yet.
Raising public investment. This the economic survey says declined due to twin-balance sheet problem i.e. high level of debt in companies and high NPAs of banks.
Also to resolve the twin deficit problem the government needs to provide adequate capital to Public Sector Banks (PSBs). In this case the budget’s biggest positive is the allotment of 70,000 crores towards capital for PSBs.
Also the government in the budget provides adequate cover for loans up to 10% on purchase of pooled assets of NBFCs of a total value of 100,000 crore during current financial year. Many see it as a government bailout of private NBFCs.

Need-

The government expects that boosting the flow of credit and by recapitalisation of PSBs there will be a boost to private investment in the economy.
It is mainly doing so to maintain its fiscal deficit targets.
But it should also keep in mind other steps if this plan doesn’t work out well.

GS-2 or GS-3

Question – Analyse the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) from an Indian angle. (250 words)

Context- The signing of AfCFTA in Niamey by members of the African Union.

At the 12th summit of the Africa Union (AU), 54 out of 55 member states signed AfCFTA for goods and services.
It is a cross border FTA with elimination of customs duties on 90% of the tariff lines.
It will eventually create an African Common Market of 1.2 billion people and GDP of $ 3.4 billion- the Metrix are comparable to India.
The AfCFTA will be the world’s largest FTA an in a world dependent on African markets and commodities, it would have a global impact.

But there are certain concerns about its success-

It has been founded by the African Union which has till now been ineffective in solving many of Africa’s myrid problems.
Only 1/6th of Africa’s current total trade is within the continent.
Also there is a general global trend towards protectionism. So it will be difficult for the AfCFTA to defy the contrarian global tendencies.

Still, what does FTA indicate?

It indicates a positive collective self-reliance through African economic integration by steps such as incremental tariff reduction,

elimination of non-tariff barriers, supply chains and dispute settlement.

In 2018 they has also organised the first Intra-African Trade Fair in Cairo.
This also indicates a strong political will.
By adopting AfCFTA they are looking into the future because a recent UN projection showed that nearly half of world’s population growth between now and 2050 will come from sub-Saharan Africa. The population will double to nearly 2 billion.
This means there will be an increase in consumer base and it will make AfCFTA even more relevant.

How will it help India?

India is Africa’s third largest trading partner.
Our annual merchandise trade with African is estimated at $ 70 billion.
While our global exports are stagnant, our exports to Nigeria to over 33%.
Africa still has unfulfilled demand for Indian commodities especially food stuffs, finished products (automobiles, pharmaceuticals consumer goods) and services such as IT/ IT enabled services, healthcare and education, skilling, expertise etc.

Need-

India firstly needs to anticipate the AfCFTA’s likely impact on its interests and try to influence and leverage it to enhance India-Africa economic ties.
African economies becoming more formalised and transparent are in India’s interest because even though there is a probability of local manufactured items and services competing with Indian exports, Indian firms can co-produce them in Africa.
So if handled in a positive manner the AfCFTA can open new opportunities for Indian stakeholders in fast moving consumer goods manufacturing, connectivity projects and creation of financial backbone.
Probably anticipating these benefits India had donated $ 5 million to Niger to fund this Niamey AU summit where the AfCFTA has been signed. The next step India can take is to help AU to prepare the requisite architecture for AfCFTA.

GS-3

Question- Analyse India-US trade turmoil and suggest the way ahead. (250 words)

Context- The increased trade tension between the two countries.

The US is India’s most important trade market.
Also, India is a huge growing market for US investment and export.
But India-US strategic partnership is being risked by trade turmoil between the two countries.
US has withdrawn from India preferential tariff benefits under Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme and also increased tariff on steel and aluminium. India has imposed retaliatory tariff in response.
Trade conflicts and disputes are not new in India-US relations. They have been there right from the time of GATT to WTO. But this moment is different because the conflicts may run deep with serious implications.
A tit-for-tat trade war mimicking like between US and China may follow.

How to resolve the differences?

There has to be an effort from both the sides not only for effective management of current tensions but rather thinking big for the future.
For e.g. if the two parties can come together to resolve the outstanding issues such as GSP, US tariff on steel and aluminium and India’s retaliatory tariffs and differences on e-commerce, they can set the stage for building a trade relationship that better complements the strategic ones.
Also both sides can use the existing trade policy forums to resolve their issues such as digital trade, regulatory coherence, intellectual property right and so on like they did successfully on WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.
Also India should learn from US and create a new trade staff office that will report directly to the PM’s office. US has this system and with experience the trade staff become experts in negotiating diplomatic trade deals.
Both the countries can also consider signing a bilateral FTA and eliminate trade and investment barriers and protectionist regulatory measures. Afterall FTA is the ultimate example of economic integration in a trade relationship.

Conclusion- But a bilateral FTA between India and US seems to be a far cry as neither of the countries have been very successful in negotiating FTAs with other countries around the world

GS-2

Question- At a time when some people are criticising the idea of democracy, can democratic education show the way?

Context-The debate about democracy.

What is the need of democratic education?

Democracy as we popularly known is a government for the people, of the people and by the people, exercised through votes.
But at present democracy has been limited to casting votes to get rid of a government that we dislike.
But democracy is not limited to just that.
We need to question ourselves that why do we elect leaders who are corrupt, have criminal charges against them? who care more about self than about others or who have neither vision nor wisdom or who shun contact with the people and lack ability or talent.

This can to some extent be attributed to the lack of democratic education.

So, what is democratic education?

Before we progress one thing needs to be made clear that some argue that voting right must be given only to the educated as they can make best decisions but this is not all true as there are many who lack formal education but are politically astute and even possess qualities of good citizenship. While there are also formally educated people, who are prone to being self-obsessed, undemocratic or even authoritarian.
Thus, education by itself does not guarantee good citizenship.
So, the solution then is not just education but universal education of a certain kind, one that is focused on improving the quality of our democracy.
Our current education system does not focus on education in democracy or what we might call democratic education. Nor does it build on elements of democratic culture embedded in our tradition.

What are the core elements of democratic education?

It requires cultivation of democratic virtues.
this requires that we learn to distinguish between what is good for me and what is hood for all.
this idea may differ from individual to individual.
But they must know to find an overlapping common good. How? – by an ability to handle this difference and disagreement and to retain, despite these differences, the motivation to arrive at a common good through conversation, debate, dialogue and deliberation.
this basically is the opposite of what the Greeks call ‘pleonexia’.

Pleonexia means one who is self-centred and is obsessed about only one’s own good.
Democratic education requires training in not succumbing to pleonexia.
Also inculcating the ability to listening to others and continuing a conversation despite disagreements.

Way forward-

this can be done by good liberal arts education.
the National Education Policy 2019 too acknowledges this but insufficiently.
Proper democratic education is required else we may give in to cynics and allow unhealthy criticism about democracy and eventually imperil it.
If it is so it will be a failure of the values our ancestors fought for.

The Hindu Mains Sure shot

11th July 2019

GS-1 MAINS

Question- How can we mitigate climate change through forest restoration?

Context- Estimates of the Forest Survey of India.

In order to deal with climate, change several countries met in Paris in 2015 (COP-21) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Each country in this meeting decided the level and kind of effort it would undertake to solve the global problem of climate change.
These actions were referred to as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)
India also made a number of promises that would lead to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation) and actions to adapt to living in a warmer world (adaptation).

What were the promises-

Many plans were made to move to a climate-friendly sustainable development pathway.
By 2030, 40% of the installed capacity for electricity will come from non-fossil fuel sources.
Also a reduction in the emission intensity of GDP by about 1/3rd.
India also promised an additional carbon-sink (i.e. a means to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere) of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by the year 2030.
Additional forest acts as a carbon sink because trees and other vegetation fix CO2 as a part of photosynthesis and soil too holds organic carbon from plants and animals.
Though soil’s capacity to hold Carbon varies depending on land management practices, farming methods, soil nutrients and temperature.

How can carbon sink be increased?

Restoring impaired and open forests
Afforesting wastelands
Argo forestry
Through green corridors, plantation along railways, canals, other roads and via green urban spaces.
It has been decided that close to three quarter of the increase (72.3%) will be done by restoring forests and afforestation of wastelands, with a moderate rise in total green cover.
A study by Simon Lewis and his colleagues in ‘Nature’, a multidisciplinary science journal, suggested that locking up CO2 from atmosphere in trees, ground vegetation and soil is one of the safest ways to remove carbon.
If done carefully, the green cover increase will provide other benefits like it will improve water quality, store water in wetlands, prevent soil erosion, protect biodiversity and potentially provide new jobs.

Concerns-

It has to be kept in mind that we don’t go for monocultures of plantations because plantations hold very little carbon.
Plantation means a large estate, especially in a tropical country like cotton, tobacco, coffee etc are grown.
Also, some plantations/ plantation crops depend on aquifers (i.e. underground water-bearing permeable rocks). And the water of aquifers is becoming increasing precious as heat increases.
So, such kind of green covers are not much of much use.

Need-

To curb deforestation to the maximum extent.
The restoration of imparted and open forests and wastelands.
Instead of plantations the government can think of growing ‘food forests’ managed by local communities. It will have additional co-benefits.
Also it has to be ensured that in the process local people who plant indigenous tree varieties should be allowed to continue.
Also just establishing natural forests is not enough, they need to be protected. So, protecting and nurturing public lands while preventing their private enclosure is therefore paramount.
And finally, active forest management by local people has a long history in India and this needs to be expanded to meet climate, environment and social goals.

Note- today rest editorials will upload tomrw in Eng and Hindi Medium

The Hindu Mains Sure shot editorials

GS-1

Question- In context of the 26th revised World Population Prospects report, analyse the challenges faced by the government regarding population control and show the way ahead. (250 words)

Context- The report

The UN 26th revised World Population Prospects has forecast that India will overtake China as the most populous country by 2027.
The number of women in child-bearing age (15 to 39 years) in India is 253 million while that in China is 235 million. So even if the government strict one child policy now like China fid in 1979, still India will surpass China as the most populous country.
Now the merit will lie in how we use this demography for long-term welfare of the nation.
This will depend on how we handle 3 critical issues.

The Issues-

Should the government adopt stringent population control policies?
What should the government do if the policies don’t work? and,
How should the government tackle the disproportion in the population growth in Northern and Central Indian states to the population growth rate in the South?

Analysing the problems-

As to the first problem, the Indian government as a democratic nation, has used all weapons in its arsenal.

Right from restrictions on maternity leave and other maternity benefits for only first two births, to disqualification from contesting panchayat elections for people with more than two children in some states along with minor incentives for sterilisation.
But ground level research by former Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, Nirmala Buch, found that individuals who wanted larger families either circumvented the restrictions or went ahead regardless of the consequences.
The mindset of the people can be well understood by the answer of one of her informants- ” The sarpanch’s post is not going to support me during my old age, but son will.”

This brings us to the second problem that since people are not following the restrictions, what can be done next?

In this case since punitive actions are not working the government has to encourage the people to have smaller families ‘voluntarily’.
Here we also have to note that there is a sharp difference between the fertility rate of people from different socio-economic groups for e.g. the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) for the poorest women is 3.2 compared to only 1.5 for the richest in 2015-16.
Also, there is a difference between why the people in the western societies stop at one child and why Indian couples do so.
In the West women face a conflict between work and child rearing and the individual’s desire for a child-free life. But in India it is because of a desire to invest in their child’s education and future prospects that seems to drive people to stop at one child.
If the poor get the assurance that if they educate their child from a good college, their only child will get good a job, they might stop at one child.
Easily accessible contraceptive services will complete this virtuous cycle.

Now the third issue is that the population growth in North and Central parts of India is far greater than in the South.

We have to keep in mind that the demographic dividend provided by an increase in the working age population is a temporary phase of hardly 20-30 years. After which the working population will begin to age.
States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu which have controlled their population growth early have already passed or are passing this phase. So, in next few years their old age dependency ratio compared to their population will increase.
But the UN Population Fund estimates that over the next 20 years the window of this demographic opportunity will be open for states like Bihar, U.P and other states that are the last to enter the population control race.
This suggests that the workers of Bihar will be supporting the ageing population of Kerala in the next 20 years.

So, what is needed?

To maximise the benefit of demographic dividend the government must invest in these laggard states (i.e. states which have failed to control the fertility rate till now) because they will be the states with maximum working age adults in the next 20 years. So, if they are properly educated, they can give best performance, else this population will turn into a menaced.

GS-1

Question- In context of the 26th revised World Population Prospects report, analyse the challenges faced by the government regarding population control and show the way ahead. (250 words)

Context- The report

The UN 26th revised World Population Prospects has forecast that India will overtake China as the most populous country by 2027.
The number of women in child-bearing age (15 to 39 years) in India is 253 million while that in China is 235 million. So even if the government strict one child policy now like China fid in 1979, still India will surpass China as the most populous country.
Now the merit will lie in how we use this demography for long-term welfare of the nation.
This will depend on how we handle 3 critical issues.

The Issues-

Should the government adopt stringent population control policies?
What should the government do if the policies don’t work? and,
How should the government tackle the disproportion in the population growth in Northern and Central Indian states to the population growth rate in the South?

Analysing the problems-

As to the first problem, the Indian government as a democratic nation, has used all weapons in its arsenal.

Right from restrictions on maternity leave and other maternity benefits for only first two births, to disqualification from contesting panchayat elections for people with more than two children in some states along with minor incentives for sterilisation.
But ground level research by former Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, Nirmala Buch, found that individuals who wanted larger families either circumvented the restrictions or went ahead regardless of the consequences.
The mindset of the people can be well understood by the answer of one of her informants- ” The sarpanch’s post is not going to support me during my old age, but son will.”

This brings us to the second problem that since people are not following the restrictions, what can be done next?

In this case since punitive actions are not working the government has to encourage the people to have smaller families ‘voluntarily’.
Here we also have to note that there is a sharp difference between the fertility rate of people from different socio-economic groups for e.g. the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) for the poorest women is 3.2 compared to only 1.5 for the richest in 2015-16.
Also, there is a difference between why the people in the western societies stop at one child and why Indian couples do so.
In the West women face a conflict between work and child rearing and the individual’s desire for a child-free life. But in India it is because of a desire to invest in their child’s education and future prospects that seems to drive people to stop at one child.
If the poor get the assurance that if they educate their child from a good college, their only child will get good a job, they might stop at one child.
Easily accessible contraceptive services will complete this virtuous cycle.

Now the third issue is that the population growth in North and Central parts of India is far greater than in the South.

We have to keep in mind that the demographic dividend provided by an increase in the working age population is a temporary phase of hardly 20-30 years. After which the working population will begin to age.
States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu which have controlled their population growth early have already passed or are passing this phase. So, in next few years their old age dependency ratio compared to their population will increase.
But the UN Population Fund estimates that over the next 20 years the window of this demographic opportunity will be open for states like Bihar, U.P and other states that are the last to enter the population control race.
This suggests that the workers of Bihar will be supporting the ageing population of Kerala in the next 20 years.

So, what is needed?

To maximise the benefit of demographic dividend the government must invest in these laggard states (i.e. states which have failed to control the fertility rate till now) because they will be the states with maximum working age adults in the next 20 years. So, if they are properly educated, they can give best performance, else this population will turn into a menaced.

The Hindu 12th July editorials mains sure shot

GS-3

Question- Does the Labour Force Survey portray that jobless growth has become even systemic? Explain ( 200 Words)

Context- The Survey

The findings of the latest employment survey or the Periodic Labour Force Survey (2017-18) has raised two big issues-

Shrinking share of labour force and,
Rising unemployment.

The main concerns arise from the findings that the labour force participation rate (i.e. % of people working or seeking job who are more than 15 years of age) in 2012 was 55.5% and in 2018 it was only 49.7%
So, we can say that there is an absolute decline in the number of workers from 467.7 million i 2012 to 461.5 million in 2018.
The survey counted both who are self-employed and those who have wage employment.
Within the category they also included those who are engaged in ‘unpaid family labour’.
The findings definitely show that there has been an increase in unemployment. But this has to be seen from 3 points- location, gender and educated unemployment.
From the perspective of location, the rate of unemployment among rural men was 5.8% and rural women at 3.8%.
From the gender angle the highest rate of unemployment of a ‘severe’ nature was among urban women at 10.8%; followed by urban men at 7.1%
If we look at the issue of educated unemployment i.e. unemployment among those with at least a secondary school certificate, it is at 11.4% compared to previous survey’s figure of 4.9%.
The survey also showed that the level of unemployment rates go up as level of education go up.
This might be because educated persons in general have aspirations for specific jobs and hence likely to go through a longer waiting period than their less-educated counterparts.
But the country’s inability to absorb educated into gainful employment is both an economic loss as well as a demoralising experience both among unemployed and those enrolling themselves for higher education.
But the overall conclusion is that the trend of ‘jobless growth’ which was till now confined to the organised sector has now spread to other sectors of the economy making it more generalised.

Need-

To re-examine the linkage between growth and employment.
For the government to not remain silent but to actively discuss it and make it central to development strategies.
The stringent labour laws have to be reformed. And presently the government is working in this direction.
The education system needs to be restructured where emphasis is given on creating desired skill sets.
The entrepreneurial instincts of people have to be encouraged.
Job intensive sectors have to be promoted.
Schemes like MUDRA scheme should be expanded as it can play a great role in expansion of MSME sector that has a potential to create more jobs.
The government needs to keep working on enhancing ease of doing business in India to attract more investment.

The Hindu Editorials 13th July 2019 Mains Sure Shot

GS-2

Question- Analyse the draft National Education Policy (NEP) and suggest the way ahead.(200 words)

(The critical aspects of the NEP have already been discussed two times earlier.)

Context- The draft NEP, 2019

The draft NEP was prepared by a committee headed by Dr. D. Kasturirangan.

The key provisions are-

The policy focuses on making the education system accessible, equitable i.e. fair and reasonable, affordable, accountable and improving the overall quality of education in the country.
It specifically focuses on the early childhood education, especially the curriculum of the Early Childhood Care and education or ECCE which concerns the pre-schoolers.
It also proposes the extension of Right to Education to cover all children from 3 to 18years of age. At present it covers students till the age of 18years.
It further divides K-12 (i.e. kindergarten to grade 12) into Foundational Stage (3-8 years), Preparatory Stage (8-11 years), Middle Stage (11-14 years) and Secondary Stage (14-18 years).

So, it redraws the schooling system on a 5+3+3+4 formula.

The draft also proposes restructuring of schools into school complexes. This jas already been initiated in CBSE schools.
But there has been no hard separation of learning areas in terms of curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular areas.
There has also been a focus on Teacher Education and improving the quality of educators.
A four-year integrated stage-specific B.Ed. programme has also been presented.
Also emphasis has been given restructuring the technical and medical education in the country, along with exit-examination of medical professionals.
There is also stress on vocational training.
Outcome based teaching and learning model in elementary schools.
Spending 1.5% of GDP on research and development.
Finally, the proposal of continuing with the 3-language formula has been reinforced in the draft NEP.

It has reiterated its commitment to providing a renewed focus on the Indian languages from and early and formative years.

Issues-

The draft lacks operational details.
It does not after clear insight into how the policy will be funded.

Way ahead-

It is a welcome step that the government had kept the draft open for public review.
The provisions of the policy are welcoming but now the government needs to focus on how it will be implemented.
It will also have to ensure that the policy does not face litigation, state resistance and operational challenges on the ground.

Topic GS-3 – Economy ( Banking)

Questions – In context of the present state of the Indian economy, why is India opting for overseas bonds? Explain (200 words)

Context: Finance minister’s budget speech.

As seen earlier, the Indian economy at present is in dire need or both public and private investment
With the tax to GDP ratio being low, the finance minister announced in the budget speech, that the government plans to raise a portion of its gross borrowing from overseas markets.
This will be done through issuing overseas sovereign bonds — So what is overseas sovereign bond?

And overseas sovereign bond is just like a domestic bond is a government bond or a sovereign bond that is issued by the govt with the promise periodic interest payment, and also repay the entire face-value of the bond on the maturity date.
It is a form of debt of the govt.
So far, the govt had issued sovereign bond only in the domestic market
It will be issued in external market in external currencies
At present, India’s sovereign external debt (i.e. the govt’s external debt) to GDP ratio is one of the lowest around the world at less than 5% of the GDP

Benefits:

First understand the basic point that the govt.’s revenue is not enough to match its spending. So, the govt has to borrow to spend. So, from where does the govt borrow? — From the RBI and other sources like by issuing bonds and external debts.
When the govt borrows from any other source, except any external debt, it is taking money from the domestic market.
Money in the domestic market is limited. So, the more the govt borrows from the domestic market less and less money is left in the market for lending to private borrowers/or private sector.
So, in turn the private sector does not get enough money to invest or open new factory and so on.
This is called “crowding out”.
So, the govt is issuing overseas bonds to borrow money from external market so that more money is left to be lent to private sector borrowers.
According to Finance Secretary the govt borrowing accounts for 80-82% of the domestic savings.
The demand in the international market of Indian bonds will also so how India is viewed globally on the risk factor.
But there are certain risks

What are the risks?

In the 1970’s several South American countries borrowed heavily from the external market, when the global market was beaming with liquidity. But when the currencies of these countries depreciated sharply a decade later due to certain factors, they could not repay their debt. So, India should not borrow too much via these bonds.
Another risk is that India’s borrowing from the external market in external currency will increase its foreign exchange reserve. This will lead to stronger rupee. This will discourage exports.
On the other hand, if the rupee depreciates for any unforeseen reason. The govt will find it difficult to repay its external debt.
Also, the govt. has to keep in mind that when it borrows from the domestic market and it is unable to repay, it can always ask the RBI to print fresh currency and payback. But in case it finds difficulty to pay external debt, it won’t be able to print foreign currency to repay.

Way Ahead

Overall this is a welcome step at a time, when the economy needs more investment from the private sector.
But the government has to make sure that it does not borrow too much from these bonds, keeping the risk factor in mind.

GS-3

Topic- GS-3 Space Tech

How does Chandrayaan II add new gem to ISRO’s crown? Analyse ( 250 words)

Context-The Launch of Chandrayaan II

Before we begin, let us understand the meaning of a few terms- Orbiter- it is a spacecraft designed to go into orbit, but it does not subsequently land.

Lander– A spacecraft designed to land on the surface of a planet or the Moon.
Rover– It is a space “exploration” vehicle designed to move across the surface of a planet or other celestial bodies.

When Chandrayaan I successfully landed on the moon in 2008, India became the fourth country to successfully land on the lunar surface.
Chanadrayaan II, just like its predecessor, is a fully indigenous and unmanned lunar mission.
It is the first time that we will put our rover on the south-polar region of the Moon. It is also the country’s first space mission, headed by a woman – Ritu Karidham.
It will also be an achievement because it will make India the fourth country (USA, Former Soviet Union and China) to make a “soft- landing” on the Moon. Chnadrayaan 1 had sent its lander crashing into the moon.
The success rate of “soft-landing” on the moon is very low. There have been 38 attempts so far, with a success rate of only 52%.

The Technical Facts

It will be launched by GSLV Mark III Rocket.
It is made up of an orbiter, a lander (named Vikram, after Vikram A. Sarabhai, the founding father of Space Science Research in India) and a rover (named ‘Pragyan’ which means wisdom).
It weighs nearly four times of its predecessor, Chandrayan I.
As mentioned earlier, Chandrayaan I had sent it’s lander crashing into the Moon, but Chndrayaan II will use Rocket technology to ‘soft-land’ ‘Vikram’, which will carry ‘Pragyan’ rover in suitable high plain on lunar surface between two craters– Manzinus – C and Simpelius – N, at a latitude about 70 degrees south.
The project costs rupees 978 crores and, the lander and the rover have an expected lifetime of fourteen days, while the orbiter will continue for a year.

Why the study of the Moon is important?

Chandrayaan I conclusively detected traces of water along with magnesium aluminium and silicon.
Now close to a decade later, we are launching Chandrayaan II. For the first time, its rovers will land on the southern side of the moon. It will help us explore or understand the moon better.
As Space travel is rapidly taking shape, and exoplanets are being discovered every day, learning more about our immediate neighbour will help us undertake more advanced mission.
It will also test ISRO’s advancing capabilities.
Also, the low-cost of this mission just like Chandrayaan I is an added glory when compared to the rest of the world.
It will put India among the lunar pioneers.
Finally, it is a piece of solving the larger puzzle as top how the solar system and its planets has evolved

note- we have already covered ISRO and its achievements earlier.

The Hindu Editorials Mains sure Shot (15th July)

GS-1

Question – Comment on ‘urbanization without vision’ with some examples.( 200 words)

Context – The Chennai water crisis.

There are some visible problems like traffic congestion or crime but environmental degradation is not something that we can see in our everyday lives. We notice it only when it takes a dangerous form.
It also involves the question of right of the future generations to a rightful; share of water and hence a life of dignity.
For example, if we see the case of Chennai- we did not notice groundwater depletion as a problem unless there was a severe water crisis in Chennai.
In 2015 in Chennai there was a different scenario. There was a massive flood. It was CAG had called it “man made disaster”.
It said that the flood was a result of consistent human failings and poor urban design. This os not a secluded case of Chennai alone but is common to most urban centres in India.
Now Chennai is facing a water scarcity.
The poor urban planning can be seen by the fact that more than 30 water bodies that were central to the city have disappeared in the past century.
Due to concretisation or increase in paved surfaces the rain water cannot percolate into the soil and hence the groundwater levels have depleted to a point of no return.
This type of urbanisation without vision is dangerous and Chennai is not alone. Bengaluru and Hyderabad are also in the same line.
Example 2 – In Bengaluru, according to a High Court notice to the Bruhat Bengaluru Palika (the city’s administrative body responsible for civil and infrastructural development), 15 lakes have lost their ecological character in less than 5years. Due to poor urban planning these lakes have now turned to be bus stops, a stadium and quite ironically an office of Pollution Control Board.
Example 3 – Telangana. In Telangana the Kakatiya dynasty rulers had built network of tanks and lakes around the city but they have disappeared and the cause is none other than poor urban planning and lack of vision by authorities.
Due to the state’s topography and rainfall pattern, these tanks were ideal for irrigation by storing and regulating water flow for agricultural use.
Realising their mistake the Chief Minister of Telangana has launched ‘Mission Kakatiya’ to restore these irrigation tanks and lakes built by the Kakatiya dynasty.
Example 3- Hyderabad. The city of Hyderabad learning from Chennai’s example has set up a team of experts to review the urban planning of the city and is also moving towards a sustainable hydraulic model. This model will integrate six sources of water in a way that even the most underdeveloped areas of the city can have equitable access to water resources and to restore the groundwater level to avoid a calamity of the kind that has gripped Chennai now.

Way ahead- 1. The other urban cities have to learn from the examples of Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Telangana. Bengaluru has reclaimed Kundalahalli lake (which had turned into a landfill) through corporate sector responsibility funds, Hyderabad and Telangana have rebuild their resilience through political will and well designed policies like Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme and Mission.

The policy makers will need to have a long-term vision not repair for present and forget.

a3. It is estimated that by 2050 half of India will be living in cities. The government cannot let the future generation live in cities threatened by drought, flood, earthquake or war over fresh water.

GS-2 or GS-3 Mains

Question – What is data localisation? In Spite of the huge market for digital payment companies in India why are start-ups in this field so few?Explain ( 200 words)

Context – WhatsApp trying to introduce its own payment facility in India.

What is data localisation?

It is the act of storing data on any device that is physically present within the boundary of a country. Example – at present when we swipe out Visa or Mastercard, (not RuPay because RuPay is an Indian debit card launched by the National Payment Corporation of India) or purchase something from foreign companies online like Amazon our financial and personal information is carried, processed and stored either partly or completely outside India.

Even the Indian government and its regulators have limited access to it as it is stored in the device of some foreign country.

This is what the RBI wants to change. At present most of the data is stored in clouds outside India.

Data localisation was suggested by Srikrishna committee in 2018.

Localisation mandates that companies collecting critical data about consumers must store and process them within the borders of the country.

And the government must enjoy complete access to it for its domestic policy-making.

The second part of the question –

In India, at present, there are 800 million mobile users and 430 million have internet access, and it is estimated to grow to over $1 trillion by 2025.
Between FY 2017 and FY 2019, the number of digital transactions in India shot up by 139 per cent to 23,373 million transactions, according to RBI data.
Given this huge scope, many start-ups have come up in this field of online payments space.
But most of these start-ups are dying. According to data from Tracxn, a firm that tracks start-ups, in 2015, there were 131 start-ups but by 2018 this number declined to only 49 and mid-way through 2019, it is just 11.
There is also a massive decline in the equity flow in this sector and most of the equity that comes goes to the larger, well-established firms.

So the problem is though the pie is large, only a few slice it up. That is though the scope of exploiting the digital payment market in India is high, most of the benefits are being taken by bigger companies and the smaller start-ups are jostling for space.
Reasons- 1. Competition 2. Start-ups crashing in and 3. Lack of variation un product offerings.
For Example- Paytm and Mobikwik are early entrants in the digital payments market and have been successful in capturing a significant share of the market.
Since they are already successful and enjoy a loyal customer base, they try to expand their business by offering incentives, cash-backs and other value-added services.
The new entrants don’t have much capital, neither a loyal customer base nor customers’ confidence. They fail to give such lucrative offers either to customers or to investors and hence lag behind in the race.
Even investors prefer to invest in already established companies. E.g. in 2017, total equity funding in the online payments sector was $ 1,581 million of which Paytm alone received 88 per cent or $ 1,400 million.

Way Ahead-

At present brands like Google have introduced their own wallets in India and WhatsApp is already next In line with its ‘WhatsApp Pay’ and it waiting government clearance, which is stuck on the issue of data localization.
In this scenario the government has to step in to prevent these biggies who already enjoy customer confidence and own social media platforms of their own, from crowding-out the smaller start-ups.
There is also the issue of privacy, given these companies store their data in foreign companies where they are registered and even the government has no access to it.
Demanding data localization from these companies is just the beginning, more regulation is needed.

GS-1 or GS-2 Mains

Question: What is WASH and what are the issues associated with it? Discuss (200 words)

Context: WHO and UN Children’s’ Fund (UNICEF) outlines

WASH refers to water, sanitation and hygiene. They also include waste management and environmental cleaning services.

They are basic for any health care system

But WHO and UNICEF’s recent outline show that WASH services in many health care facilities (e.g. hospitals ) are missing.

Importance:

This poses severe challenges like – In hospitals lack of WASH has the potential to make patients and healthcare workers sick from avoidable infections.

This leads to unnecessary use of antibiotics, thereby spreading anti-microbial resistance.

WHO has increased its efforts in South East Asia region to tackle this problem and hence facilitate the realization of SDG targets.

In its recent meetings in New Delhi, it emphasized that improving WASH services is crucial to the progress of schemes targeting universal health coverage.

Improving WASH is also essential to enhance the Quality of primary health care services, increasing equity and bridging the rural-urban divide.

How to deal with it? / Way ahead.

The WHA passed a resolution in May that they will help to mobilize domestic and external investment in countries that lacks basic WASH facilities to help reach the global targets.

The targets are- ensuring at least 60% of all health care facilities have basic WASH services by 2022: at least 80% have the same by 2025 and 100% of all facilities provide WASH services by 2030.

For this each member state will have to implement each of WHO and UNICEF recommended practical steps.

First, the health authorities will have to conduct in-depth assessments.

Second, they will have to form a national road-map to improve WASH services.

Third, Ensure accountability mechanisms.

Educate health workers.

Information campaign to install a culture of cleanliness and safety among people

Also, workers in health care system- from doctors and nurses to mid-wives and cleaners- should be made aware of and made to practice, WASH and infection, prevention, and control procedures (IPC)

Classes on WASH and IPC must be included in pre-service training of health care workers.

Also, regular data collection on improvement of WASH is necessary to assess the progress of govt effort. And necessary changes can be made if required.

GS-2 or GS-3 Mains

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot (16th July 2019)

Question – What is data localisation? In Spite of the huge market for digital payment companies in India why are start-ups in this field so few?Explain ( 200 words)

Context – WhatsApp trying to introduce its own payment facility in India.

What is data localisation?

Even the Indian government and its regulators have limited access to it as it is stored in the device of some foreign country.

This is what the RBI wants to change. At present most of the data is stored in clouds outside India.

Data localisation was suggested by Srikrishna committee in 2018.

Localisation mandates that companies collecting critical data about consumers must store and process them within the borders of the country.

And the government must enjoy complete access to it for its domestic policy-making.

The second part of the question –

In India, at present, there are 800 million mobile users and 430 million have internet access, and it is estimated to grow to over $1 trillion by 2025.
Between FY 2017 and FY 2019, the number of digital transactions in India shot up by 139 per cent to 23,373 million transactions, according to RBI data.
Given this huge scope, many start-ups have come up in this field of online payments space.
But most of these start-ups are dying. According to data from Tracxn, a firm that tracks start-ups, in 2015, there were 131 start-ups but by 2018 this number declined to only 49 and mid-way through 2019, it is just 11.
There is also a massive decline in the equity flow in this sector and most of the equity that comes goes to the larger, well-established firms.

So the problem is though the pie is large, only a few slice it up. That is though the scope of exploiting the digital payment market in India is high, most of the benefits are being taken by bigger companies and the smaller start-ups are jostling for space.
Reasons- 1. Competition 2. Start-ups crashing in and 3. Lack of variation un product offerings.
For Example- Paytm and Mobikwik are early entrants in the digital payments market and have been successful in capturing a significant share of the market.
Since they are already successful and enjoy a loyal customer base, they try to expand their business by offering incentives, cash-backs and other value-added services.
The new entrants don’t have much capital, neither a loyal customer base nor customers’ confidence. They fail to give such lucrative offers either to customers or to investors and hence lag behind in the race.
Even investors prefer to invest in already established companies. E.g. in 2017, total equity funding in the online payments sector was $ 1,581 million of which Paytm alone received 88 per cent or $ 1,400 million.

Way Ahead-

At present brands like Google have introduced their own wallets in India and WhatsApp is already next In line with its ‘WhatsApp Pay’ and it waiting government clearance, which is stuck on the issue of data localization.
In this scenario the government has to step in to prevent these biggies who already enjoy customer confidence and own social media platforms of their own, from crowding-out the smaller start-ups.
There is also the issue of privacy, given these companies store their data in foreign companies where they are registered and even the government has no access to it.
Demanding data localization from these companies is just the beginning, more regulation is needed.

GS-1 or GS-2 Mains

Question: What is WASH and what are the issues associated with it? Discuss (200 words)

Context: WHO and UN Children’s’ Fund (UNICEF) outlines

WASH refers to water, sanitation and hygiene. They also include waste management and environmental cleaning services.

They are basic for any health care system

But WHO and UNICEF’s recent outline show that WASH services in many health care facilities (e.g. hospitals ) are missing.

Importance:

This poses severe challenges like – In hospitals lack of WASH has the potential to make patients and healthcare workers sick from avoidable infections.

This leads to unnecessary use of antibiotics, thereby spreading anti-microbial resistance.

WHO has increased its efforts in South East Asia region to tackle this problem and hence facilitate the realization of SDG targets.

In its recent meetings in New Delhi, it emphasized that improving WASH services is crucial to the progress of schemes targeting universal health coverage.

Improving WASH is also essential to enhance the Quality of primary health care services, increasing equity and bridging the rural-urban divide.

How to deal with it? / Way ahead.

The WHA passed a resolution in May that they will help to mobilize domestic and external investment in countries that lacks basic WASH facilities to help reach the global targets.

The targets are- ensuring at least 60% of all health care facilities have basic WASH services by 2022: at least 80% have the same by 2025 and 100% of all facilities provide WASH services by 2030.

For this each member state will have to implement each of WHO and UNICEF recommended practical steps.

First, the health authorities will have to conduct in-depth assessments.

Second, they will have to form a national road-map to improve WASH services.

Third, Ensure accountability mechanisms.

Educate health workers.

Information campaign to install a culture of cleanliness and safety among people

Also, workers in health care system- from doctors and nurses to mid-wives and cleaners- should be made aware of and made to practice, WASH and infection, prevention, and control procedures (IPC)

Classes on WASH and IPC must be included in pre-service training of health care workers.

Also, regular data collection on improvement of WASH is necessary to assess the progress of govt effort. And necessary changes can be made if required.

GS-2 Mains

Question- What is anti-defection law? Is it time for reconsideration?Comment ( 200 words)

Context- The Karnataka situation.

What is meant by the term defection?

It means the act leaving a country or political party consciously.
The 10th schedule of the Indian Constitution is popularly called the Anti-Defection Act.
It was introduced in 1985 in order to deter/ prevent legislators from political defections motivated by lure of office or other similar considerations.
Article 102(2) and 191(2) deal with anti-defection.

Intention- It was brought to prevent horse trading in the parliament/ check corruption/ to check the phenomenon of “aaya ram gaya ram” which refers to frequent switching of political parties in the parliament in 1960s.

Note- the intention was not to bring stability to governed but it was ‘prevention’.

What is not allowed under anti-defection law?

MPs/MLAs switching parties after election.
this applies even to nominated members if they have joined a party after 6months of nomination.
It also applies to independent candidates if they join any political party after election.

What are the grounds for disqualification under anti-defection law?

If a member voluntarily gives up his membership of a political party.
If he votes/ or abstains from voting in contrary to the directions issued by the party to which he or she belongs.

What is not defection?

If a complete political party merges with another political party leading to a split in the party and if the members of the political party haven’t accepted the merger and decide to form a separate group.

Is anti-defection judicially reviewable?

The speaker or the chairman of the house is the authority to decide on defection cases but in the Kihoto Hollohan case of 1992, the Supreme Court said that courts can intervene in case there is a request from presiding officer.

What was the Kihoto Hollohan case?

The case challenged that anti-defection law curtailed the right of free speech or freedom of MP/ MLAs.
But a five judge Constitutional Bench held that it does not violate any right or any basic structure of parliamentary democracy.

Issues related to present anti-defection law-

It affects the independence of MPs and MLAs.
It gives absolute power to the whip of the political parry to which the MP/MLA belongs.
As the members cannot speak-up their mind in the parliament and this prevents healthy debate.
This also prevents the MPs and MLAs from doing amy independent research about a topic as they simply have to follow the whip’s command.

Way ahead-

The MPs and the MLAs need to be empowered to speak independently within his/her political party.
According to Dinesh Goswami committee on electoral reforms in 1990, anti-defection law can be limited to only confidence and no-confidence motions or when the government is in danger.
Instead of making the Speaker the authority to decide such cases, the President or the Governor can make the decision.
Instead of further increasing rage scope of anti-defection law, the penalty for defection can he made more stricter.

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot ( 17th July 2019)

GS-1 mains

Question- How can we transit to a low carbon transport system? Comment ( 200 words)

Context- Global Carbon Project Report.

Present scenario-

Congested streets and polluted air are common experiences in Indian metropolises.
Public transport system varies between cities and districts. Some cities and districts have robust public transport system while other lack proper public transport service worth the name.
Among metropolises too Delhi emits more than twice as high as carbon as other Indian megacities such aa Mumbai, Bangalore or Ahmedabad.
According to Global Carbon Project, India’s present road transport emissions compared to the rest of the world is small but is rising two times as fast as global rise in 2018.

Analysis-

Carbon emissions vary with spatial context i.e. an individual’s location, activity, proximity to other people or services etc.
In India in particular income and urbanisation play a key role in determining the travel distance and travel mode and thereby, the carbon emission as a result of commuting/ travel.
Also apart from income and urbanisation the way a city is built and designed is also important factor.

For Example-
The case of India is a bit different from the rest of the world such as the United States. In the US carbon emission due to transport is low in urban areas but high in sub-urban or ex-urbam settings. But in India it is just the opposite. Here the average per capital commuting emissions are highest for most affluent districts, which are prominently urban and that heavily use four-wheelers for commuting.
In contrast, average per capita commuting emissions are lowest for Indian districts that are poor and commuting distances are short rarely use three-wheelers.
The reason for this contrast is that the urban cities in the US are properly planned and well connected through public transport. Congestion is less. While in India public transport and urban planning is very poor.

Way ahead-

Town planners should organise cities around public transport and reduce car use.
Non-motorised transport like cycling and walking should be promoted as a part of sustainable development. This will lead to lower carbon emissions along with better public health in cities.
According to recent National Family Health Survey (2015-16), nearly 30% of all men in southwest Delhi and 25% in Thiruvananthapuram and 13% in Ahmedabad are over-weight.

Data from the Indian Human Development Survey shows that 10% increase in cycling could lower chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases for 0.3million people while abating emissions.
Therefore, fuel prices of petrol, congestion charges and parking management could be a strategy.
India should also increase its efforts in transiting to electric vehicles.

Arora IAS, [20.07.19 00:49]

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot (18th July 2019)

GS-3 Mains

Question- Do we stand a risk of losing a major economic opportunity with the Banning of Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2019. (250 words)

Context- The Bill.

What is the provision of the bill?

The bill has proposed stringent penalties, including 10 years of imprisonment, for holding, selling or dealing in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
The reason cited is the probability of their misuse for money laundering and other similar activities.

What is the debate?

The debate is over the blanket ban that has been on the use of cryptocurrency.
The counter argument states that if there are chances of misuse then steps should be taken to prevent the misuse and not ban it altogether.
It might result in India missing out on what may become one of the biggest technology revolutions since the Internet.

What is the potential of blockchain?

Technologists compare the potential of block chain to that of the smartphone industry.
Initially when the smartphones arrived most of the people could not gauge the tremendous potential it possessed. Similar is the case with blockchain and cryptocurrency.
Start-ups have already built thousands of apps on the blockchain platforms like Ethereum.
These are not too popular now because they are generally not available on the regular app stores and the non-tech savvy consumers think it to be technologically complex. But new companies such as Algorand and Casper Labs are investing millions of dollars on research and development. And it is not an overestimation that a blockchain revolution is on the way.
Also, the blockchain technology has the potential to create new industries and transform existing ones in ways we cannot imagine. E.g. it has the capacity to facilitate nano-payments proportionate to an individual’s contribution and value creation in the internet, making it an ideal wealth redistribution tool for our digital age.
Even big tech companies like Facebook have started taking seriously and invested millions on it. Facebook recently announced its own cryptocurrency to facilitate payments globally with minimal fees and no dependency on central bank.
Venture capitalists have invested around $2.4 billion in blockchain and cryptocurrency start-ups by 2018. This number is only supposed to increase.
In such times if we put a blanket ban on transacting in cryptocurrency it might prevent Indians from reaping the economic benefits.

Way ahead-

We can take lessons from EU’s approach towards cryptocurrency and blockchain.
EU instead of putting a blanket ban, the European Parliament and European Council have chalked out the problems and are working on bringing anti-money laundering directive known as AMLD5.
It will contain strict KYC guidelines and options to report suspicious activities to relevant bodies, self-declaration by cryptocurrency owners and so on.
EU is also working on further improvements and amendments.
This will be a more reasonable approach than what the government has decided.

Arora IAS, [20.07.19 00:54]

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot (18th July 2019)

QUESTION 2- Analyse the World Press Freedom Index 2019 in context of India. (200 words)

GS-1 & GS-4 Mains

Context- World Press Freedom Index 2019 Report.

The Report has been prepared by the Reporters Without Borders (RWB) which covers 180 countries across the globe.
It had noted that the number of countries considered safe journalism across the globe is on decline.
Hatred against journalists has turned into violence.
In 2018 at least six journalists were killed inline of their work. Hence India’s rank fell by two places from 138 to 140.
In 2016 it was 133 and in 2017 it as 136.
The report specifically mentions that self-proclaimed supporters of a strong ideology have taken law in their hands to purge all manifestations of ‘anti-national’ thought from the national debate. This is putting journalism in danger.
Women journalists are the worst hit and covering sensitive topics such as separatism in Jammu and Kashmir and Maoist insurgency.
The report also points the authorities using anachronistic laws against journalists, who also face the wrath of militants and criminal gangs.
It has also pointed to the inaction by the central and state governments which is encouraging such instances. Also it is limiting the scope of journalism through in India through physical restrictions, denial of information and hostile rhetoric against journalists by senior government functionaries.

Need –

The government must take proper measures to prevent people from taking law in their own hands.
It should also ensure that there is proper law and order, strong democratic ideals and a pluralist country with free and dynamic press.
This will also help in projecting India as a good destination for investment and ease of doing business rankings with also improve.
On the whole for the country’s well-being the fourth pillar of democracy cannot be allowed to tatter.

Arora IAS, [19.07.19 21:45]

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot (19th July 2019)

GS-3

QUESTION- Does the Economic Survey invoke the East Asian Model? Is it suitable for India at present? (250 words)

Context – The Economic Survey.

Current issues related to the Indian economy:

Severe agrarian crisis
The troubles of loss-making and debt-ridden public sector units.
The issue plaguing public sector banks.

Need:

Incorporating insights from psychology into economics- This simply means putting psychology into economics.

Understand in this way that economics is the study of how resources are allocated by individuals or firms. So, this means forming economic policies keeping human behaviour in mind. This will lead to better predictions about economic behaviour and better policy presumptions.
Countries like Singapore, Australia and U.K. already apply this to their policy design and implementation.
This is also called behavioural economics.

Reviving private investment- the Economic Survey talks about the East Asian Model that can be followed to achieve this.

What is East Asian Model of economic development?

It refers to the model of development in some East Asian countries where the government intervenes in the market. The government invests in certain sectors of the economy in order to boost private investment and stimulate growth. This model is also called state-sponsored capitalism.
This model is mostly followed in countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, South Korea etc.

Now the question is: Can this model help revive India’s floundering investment rates?

To answer this question, we need to understand certain things-
First, this model was followed mostly implemented between the 1960s and 1990s in the newly industrialised economies (NIEs) of East Asia i.e. Singapore, Hongkong, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
Second, the prime aim of this model was to raise the gross savings rates. This aim was achieved because of certain factors apart from government intervention like demographic dividend, low inflation etc.
Then there was a need to see that what the people are saving actually goes to the financial system/ to investors.
For this importance was given on building a safe and secure banking system. So that people keep their money in the banks and the banks can lend this money to the investors.
The banking sector was tightly regulated.
So, they were successful in promoting savings but the cost of capital (i.e. things that are required to start a new business or production e.g. loans or machines) in these economies was high.
But this is not the case in India today. (i.e. at present the cost of capital is not too high).
Along with these governments undertook sophisticated industrial policies to promote domestic investment which was export-led. They understood that a vertical industrial policy (i.e. favouring a few) would not work. A horizontal development policy (taking all together) was needed. They also gave incentives and other support.
The state was autonomous and it took policies to boost private sector. So, the two worked together.
So, all this is good but the thing to note is that the time period in which this model worked was between 1960s and 1990s. At this time the external environment was far less hostile than it is today and they reaped the benefit of their demographic dividend.
But this situation in India is different. Though we have demographic dividend but due to political and other compulsions, the reforms since 1991 have been haphazard and of a ‘stop and go’ nature with undesired consequences. All of these have made it difficult for us to take full advantage of the demographic dividend.
Also, the successive governments in India have neither had proper tool-set or policy space nor the embedded autonomy unlike the East Asian countries to drive industrial transformation.
So, the East Asian model that worked for other countries is not sufficient for India. Other measures are needed.

Arora IAS, [19.07.19 21:45]

Other measures Needed:

The government should make its policy clear i.e. reduce policy uncertainty.
Ensuring that fiscal expenditures do not crowd-out private savings and investment. (we have already seen what is crowding-out earlier)
Enhancing the efficiency of financial intermediation, and,
Properly dealing with land acquisitions and environmental clearances.

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot (19th July 2019)

GS-2

QUESTION 2- Analyse the various aspects of WHO’S declaration of Ebola as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. ( 200 words)

Context- the declaration

What is Ebola?

Ebola haemorrhagic fever or simply Ebola, is a disease caused by four different strains of Ebola virus. These viruses infect humans as well as non-human primates. It was first

discovered in 1976 and since then there have been several outbreaks of the disease including 2014-16 “unprecedented outbreak” in Africa.

It has an incubation period of 2 to 21 days and the symptoms include abrupt fever, headache, joint pain, muscle aches, sore throat and weakness.

When does WHO declare a disease as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)?

When a disease constitutes a public health risk to other States through the international spread of the disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response. This applies to a situation when the outbreak is

Serious, sudden, unusual or unexpected,
Carries implications for public health beyond the affected State’s national border, and
May require immediate international action.

Why in the news?

The WHO has recently declared Ebola virus disease outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo a PHEIC.
The outbreak in Congo, officially declared in 2018, has killed nearly 1700 people and made more than 2500 people ill.
This is the fifth time that WHO has declared a global emergency. The earlier occasions were first during the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, followed by spread of polio in 2014, the spread of Ebola in West Africa in 2014 and 2016 for Zika.

Why is global emergency declared? –

To stop the spread of pathogen to other countries and
To ensure a coordinated international response.

Challenges to reduce the spread- reluctance in the community, risk of infection to health workers, delay in case detection and isolation, and challenges in tracing the persons who have spread it.

Present scenario:

A vaccine has been found but it has not been licensed in any country.
But the vaccine is quite effective because of the nearly 9400 people who were at risk and had been vaccinated till March 25, 2019, only 71. The vaccine has 97.5% efficacy.
But due to vaccine shortage, the WHO expert group on immunisation has recommended reducing the individual dose to meet the demand.

Need-

The G7 countries should fulfil their promise to WHO to stop the spread and give their required quota of funding to the WHO so that they have the resources at their disposal.
Also people need to follow the safety instructions themselves.

Arora IAS, [20.07.19 00:49]

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot (18th July 2019)

GS-3 Mains

Question- Do we stand a risk of losing a major economic opportunity with the Banning of Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2019. (250 words)

Context- The Bill.

What is the provision of the bill?

The bill has proposed stringent penalties, including 10 years of imprisonment, for holding, selling or dealing in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
The reason cited is the probability of their misuse for money laundering and other similar activities.

What is the debate?

The debate is over the blanket ban that has been on the use of cryptocurrency.
The counter argument states that if there are chances of misuse then steps should be taken to prevent the misuse and not ban it altogether.
It might result in India missing out on what may become one of the biggest technology revolutions since the Internet.

What is the potential of blockchain?

Technologists compare the potential of block chain to that of the smartphone industry.
Initially when the smartphones arrived most of the people could not gauge the tremendous potential it possessed. Similar is the case with blockchain and cryptocurrency.
Start-ups have already built thousands of apps on the blockchain platforms like Ethereum.
These are not too popular now because they are generally not available on the regular app stores and the non-tech savvy consumers think it to be technologically complex. But new companies such as Algorand and Casper Labs are investing millions of dollars on research and development. And it is not an overestimation that a blockchain revolution is on the way.
Also, the blockchain technology has the potential to create new industries and transform existing ones in ways we cannot imagine. E.g. it has the capacity to facilitate nano-payments proportionate to an individual’s contribution and value creation in the internet, making it an ideal wealth redistribution tool for our digital age.
Even big tech companies like Facebook have started taking seriously and invested millions on it. Facebook recently announced its own cryptocurrency to facilitate payments globally with minimal fees and no dependency on central bank.
Venture capitalists have invested around $2.4 billion in blockchain and cryptocurrency start-ups by 2018. This number is only supposed to increase.
In such times if we put a blanket ban on transacting in cryptocurrency it might prevent Indians from reaping the economic benefits.

Way ahead-

We can take lessons from EU’s approach towards cryptocurrency and blockchain.
EU instead of putting a blanket ban, the European Parliament and European Council have chalked out the problems and are working on bringing anti-money laundering directive known as AMLD5.
It will contain strict KYC guidelines and options to report suspicious activities to relevant bodies, self-declaration by cryptocurrency owners and so on.
EU is also working on further improvements and amendments.
This will be a more reasonable approach than what the government has decided.

Arora IAS, [20.07.19 00:54]

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot (18th July 2019)

QUESTION 2- Analyse the World Press Freedom Index 2019 in context of India. (200 words)

GS-1 & GS-4 Mains

Context- World Press Freedom Index 2019 Report.

The Report has been prepared by the Reporters Without Borders (RWB) which covers 180 countries across the globe.
It had noted that the number of countries considered safe journalism across the globe is on decline.
Hatred against journalists has turned into violence.
In 2018 at least six journalists were killed inline of their work. Hence India’s rank fell by two places from 138 to 140.
In 2016 it was 133 and in 2017 it as 136.
The report specifically mentions that self-proclaimed supporters of a strong ideology have taken law in their hands to purge all manifestations of ‘anti-national’ thought from the national debate. This is putting journalism in danger.
Women journalists are the worst hit and covering sensitive topics such as separatism in Jammu and Kashmir and Maoist insurgency.
The report also points the authorities using anachronistic laws against journalists, who also face the wrath of militants and criminal gangs.
It has also pointed to the inaction by the central and state governments which is encouraging such instances. Also it is limiting the scope of journalism through in India through physical restrictions, denial of information and hostile rhetoric against journalists by senior government functionaries.

Need –

The government must take proper measures to prevent people from taking law in their own hands.
It should also ensure that there is proper law and order, strong democratic ideals and a pluralist country with free and dynamic press.
This will also help in projecting India as a good destination for investment and ease of doing business rankings with also improve.
On the whole for the country’s well-being the fourth pillar of democracy cannot be allowed to tatter.

Arora IAS, [20.07.19 22:31]

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot (20th July 2019)

GS-3 Mains or Essay fodder points or Interview counter points

Question- How can exploiting the full potential of the agricultural sector contribute to the version of a $5 trillion economy? Explain (200 Words)

Context- The Economic Survey target of $ 5 trillion economy.

The Economic Survey envisioned a dream of making India a $ 5 trillion economy by 2024.
It also lays down a clear strategy of how to augment the growth of certain key sectors. But one thing has to be made clear that unless there is adequate investment in the primary sectors such as agriculture, growth in other sectors will not yield much results.

Need- Investment in primary sector.

According to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), insufficient investment in agricultural sector in the developing countries has led to low productivity and stagnant production.
The share of agriculture in GDP has been steadily decreasing.
Investment is the key to unlock the potential of the agricultural sector.
However, short-sighted/ myopic reforms in the past several decades has resulted in sluggish investment growth in the farm sector.
The investment has to be both public and private investment.

The core areas where investment needs to be done are-

In segments such as agro-processing, and exports, agri-start-ups and agri-tourism.

Linking tourism circuit with relatively new areas of agri-tourism (hub-and-sub model) where tourists will get glimpses of farm staff and farm operations.
This will help in boosting the investment cycle and generate in-situ employment.

Investment in improving the quality of Agri-education and research through collaboration and convergence.

This will also facilitate sustainable use through organic, natural and green methods and also zero-budget farming.

India has the highest livestock population in the world. Investment must be made to utilise this surplus by employing next-generation livestock technology with strong emphasis not only on productivity enhancement but also on conservation of indigenous germplasm, disease surveillance, quality control utilisation and value addition.

This two-way investment will lead to a sustained increase in farm income and savings with an export-oriented growth model.

Investment is renewable energy generation on fallow farm lands and in hilly terrain will help reduce the burden of debt-ridden electricity distribution companies and State governments, besides enabling energy security in rural areas.

Also a farm business organisation can be formed. This will help to attract private investment to agriculture. Further linking these organisations with commodity exchanges will provide agricultural commodities an additional space on international trading platforms.

Finally Agri-data i.e. data related to agriculture has to be properly collected and maintained because only when we have proper data, we can make proper policies.

Data is also the key driver of modern agriculture which in turn can power artificial intelligence led agriculture, e-markets, soil mapping and others.
Currently the issues related to agricultural data is enumeration, maintenance and accessibility.
What is needed for this is centralised institutional mechanism to maintain farm-level data for real time assessment.

Also a dedicated investment is needed in behavioural farm research sets. This simply means investing in research related to changing the behaviour of the farmers. e.g. to use fertilisers judiciously etc. Here the nudge theory can be applied (we have covered nudge theory earlier).

All of the above steps will lead to high productivity and increased production in agricultural sector.

This will lead to the Trickle-down effect.

How?

From the example of BRIC nations, we can see that 1% growth in agriculture is at least two to three times more effective in reducing poverty than similar growth in non-agricultural sector.
Thus, improvement in agriculture and its allied sectors will be helpful to achieve the ambitious SDGs.

Arora IAS, [20.07.19 22:31]

Way ahead-

There is a need for ‘patient investment’ because investment in agriculture takes time to show returns.
Also, an inclusive business model facilitating strong investor-farmer relation should be created.
Also, foreign agricultural investment needs to be developed.

Arora IAS, [23.07.19 14:14]

The Hindu Editorials (22th July 2019) Mains Sure Shot

GS-3

Question- What is Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS)? Why is it being debated? Explain (200 words)

The National Crimes Records Bureau (NCRB) has released a Request for Proposal for using Automated Facial Recognition System to identify criminals, missing people, and unidentified dead bodies and for “crime prevention”.

What is AFRS?

It is a technology capable of identifying or verifying a person from a digital image or a video frame from a video source.

How does it work?

It works by maintaining a large database with photos and videos of peoples’ faces. The image if a new person is taken from a CCTV footage- it is compared to an existing database to find a match or identify the person.
The AI technology used for pattern finding and matching is called “neural networks”.
At present fingerprints and iris scans are used in the Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and System (CCTNS) database.

Issues:

Issue of Privacy- Though the ministry of Home Affairs has clarified that is will not violate privacy as it will only track criminals and be accessed only by law enforcement.

However technically speaking, it is impossible for the AFRS to be truly used only to identify, track and verify criminals. Recording, classifying and querying every individual is a prerequisite for the system to work.

Assumed guilty- The system will treat each person captured in the images from CCTV cameras and other sources as potential criminals, creating a map of her face, with measurements and biometrics, and match the feature against CCTNS database. This means that we are all treated as potential criminals when we walk past a CCTV camera.

High rate of inaccuracy- It is assumed that facial recognition will introduce efficiency and speed in introducing law and order. But evidence suggests otherwise. In August 2018 a facial recognition system used by Delhi police was recorded to have accuracy of 2%. Similar levels of accuracy were recorded in the UK and the US.

And multiple studies found the accuracy rate of facial recognition algorithms are lowest in case of minorities, women and children. This makes vulnerable groups even more susceptible to being subjected to false positives (i.e. wrongly identified). So given the low accuracy, using such system in consequential sectors like law and order can be very dangerous.

Fear of mass surveillance- It can trigger a seamless system of mass surveillance, depending on how the images are combined with data points.

No data protection law- The Personal Data Protection Bill 2018 is yet to come into force. In the absence of such safeguards, law enforcement agencies will have high degree of discretion.

Way ahead-

the notion that sophisticated technology means greater efficiency has to be critically analysed. Other steps of law improvement are necessary.
Police departments in London and san Francisco have been thinking of a complete ban on facial recognition based on their experience.
India should learn from their experiences.

Arora IAS, [23.07.19 14:21]

The Hindu Editorials (22th July 2019) Mains Sure Shot

GS-2 & GS-4

Question- Critically analyse the RTI Act and the issues surrounding it. (250 words)

Context- Proposed amendment to the RTI Act 2005.

What is RTI?

RTI stands for Right to Information. It was passed by the Indian government in 2005. It is applicable in the whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir. J&K has its own RTI Act.
The aim of the act is to empower the citizens to ask a Government body or Public authority about any related information and the authority has to give the information within 30 working days.
The act also directs every public authority to take steps so as to provide enough information of its own to the public at regular intervals through various means of communication, so that the public have minimum resort to the use of this act for obtaining information.
The RTI empowers the citizens to do the following:

Request any information from any public office.
take copies of documents.
inspect the progress of works and,
take samples used at work sites.

Under the provisions of the Act, all authorities under its ambit must appoint their Public Information Officer (PIO) who shall be responsible for dealing with public regarding RTI.

History:

The genesis of RTI can be tracked down to early 1990s when Mazdur Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) influence the then government officials to seek out information such as employment and payment records and bills and vouchers relating to purchase and transportation of different materials.
These were successful in dragging attention to corruption and other potholes in the system.
This inspired several activists across the country and led to a broader discussion on RTI in India.
In 2000s a movement by Anna Hazare in Maharashtra forced the state government to enact a stronger RTI Act and this later became the base for RTI Act 2005.

Advantages of RTI:

Empowerment of the common man.
Not only empowerment but also a sense of inclusiveness to the citizens.
Easy mode of getting rightful information.
Will gradually lead to decline in corruption.

Disadvantages:

Creates unnecessary chaos- because some people ask abrupt information from different officials. Also, cases are filed against wrong information, all this leads to chaos.
Adds an extra burden on authorities.
Multiple Public Information Officers leads to people running from office to office.

What are the amendments that have been proposed?

The new bill amends Sections 13 and 16 of the original RTI Act 2005.
Under section 13 of the original act the term of Central Information Commissioner (CIC) and other Information Commissioners is 5 years or 65 years whichever is early. The amendment proposes to make the appointment “for such term as may be prescribed by the Central government”.
Section 13 of the original act also states that the salaries and other allowances of the CIC shall ne equal to that of Chief Election Commissioner and the salaries and allowances of other Information Commissioners shall be equal to that of Election Commissioners. The amendment proposes to make this too “as prescribed by the Central government”.
And Section 16 of the original act deals with state-level Chief Information Commissioner and other Information Commissioners.
The term of the state CIC and other ICs was 3years or 65 years whichever earlier. Now the bill proposes to make it “such term as prescribed by the Central government”.
The Section also said that the salaries and allowance of the state CIC will be same as that of Election Commissioner and other state ICs, the same as that of the Chief Secretary to the State government. The amendment makes this too “as prescribed by the Central government”.

Arora IAS, [23.07.19 14:21]

Issues:

The original act had specifically quantified the tenure and defined the salaries. But the amendments put all this in the hands of the Central Government which is dangerous. It is seen as a threat to the independence of the RTI authorities. It might make it another toothless tiger.

The government’s argument is that “the mandate of the Election Commission of India and central and state Information Commissions are different. Hence their status and service conditions need to be rationalised accordingly”.

So has the RTI ACT, 2005, performed so far?

The RTI Act 2005 is regarded as one the most successful laws of independent India. It has given citizens the confidence and right to a ask questions. According to estimates around 60 lakh RTI applications are filed every year. The law has acted as a deterrent for government servants taking arbitrary decisions.

Way ahead-

Any amendment should be based on long term implications rather than short-sited interests.

The Hindu Editorials (24th July 2019) Mains Sure Shot

GS-1 & GS-2

Question- Explain the Kartarpur corridor and its different aspects.(200 words)

Context-Indo-Pak agreement on building Kartarpur corridor.

What is Kartarpur corridor project?

It is a proposed corridor that will connect Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in India.
The construction of the corridor will allow visa-free access to pilgrims from India.

Importance:

At present ties between India and Pakistan are at an ebb-their lowest in two decades. But that has been disconnected from all these tensions are talks on Kartarpur corridor.
It marks a rare moment of coordination between the two nations. This project will give both the countries a reason to hold regular India-Pakistan meetings at a time when ministers from both sides do not even hold talks when they meet at multilateral conferences.
There have been three rounds of technical-level meetings to ensure that both sides complete the infrastructure needed before November 2019, the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak Dev.
The Kartarpur shrine has one of the last copies of the original Guru Grantha Sahib and it is also believed that it contains not only words of wisdom but it is in itself the 11th and last Guru.

Issues:

The Indian government in its last rounds of talks on Kartarpur corridor, raised apprehensions over Pakistan allowing separatist Khalistani groups to try and influence the pilgrims.
Of specific concern for India is the ‘Referendum 2020’ plan by the separatist Sikhs for Justice group (a group banned by India). This groups plans to hold a ‘world-wide referendum’ on a separate Sikh state.
Other concerns are the possible use of the corridor for drugs and arms movement.
And the terror threat by Pakistani Punjab-based anti-India groups such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

Possibilities:

The corridor has given one pleasant reason for bilateral talks.
Possibility of having other faith-based ‘corridor’ for other Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh pilgrims in both countries.
Timing of the opening of the corridor would be important because the next plenary of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will be in October. So, Pakistan will be under pressure to keep terror groups subdued at thus time and reduce infiltration at LoC.

Way ahead- India and Pakistan must use this opportunity to hold bilateral talks over issues between both the countries because dialogue is the key to resolve any tension.

The Hindu Editorials (24th July 2019) Mains Sure Shot

GS-3

Question- Amidst the growing water crisis, focus on the Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) and suggest steps how they can be regulated.(250 Words)

Context- NITI Aayog’s report on water crisis.

An overview:

With slow moving monsoon, India is still in the midst of a rainfall deficit, with millions facing acute water shortage.
India has only 4% of the world’s renewable water resource but about 18% of the world’s population.
So, it is important that we consume water more sensibly.
With the country’s goal of 100% electrification, the installed power capacity of the country will need to be doubled.
Most of the Thermal Power Plants consume significant amounts of water. With the government stressing on growth of renewable energy, coal is still projected to be the backbone of electricity sector till 2030 and beyond. Coal is used in most thermal power plants to heat the water.
The point is that thermal power plants still form a significant role in India’s electricity generation and most of these consume significant amounts of water and are located in water-stressed areas, and water shortages have led to electricity generation disruptions and significant revenue losses to the economy.
In 2015, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had issued a notification setting limits for water consumption by TPPs. However, the amended Environment Protection (EP) Rules codified in June 2018 permitted TPPs to use more water than earlier specified.
Overall the TPPs use and misuse a lot of water, even though most of them are located in water-stressed areas and this needs to be regulated.

Steps taken:

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has recently released a format for TPPs to report on their annual water consumption.
They were asked to specify both metered and non-metered usage, also report on the source of their water (rivers, canal or sea) and state the percentage by which they deviate from the water norms, along with reasons and corrective steps taken.

Need:

Along with the amount of water use, they should also be made to disclose the amount of water they used in previous year, so that a baseline for water consumption per TPP can be quantified.
The disclosure process should be made more transparent.
The TPPs should also be required to submit verifiable evidence (e.g. water bills) to cross-check their disclosures.
Finally the data provided by the TPPs should be placed in public-domain so that region-specific water shortage studies can be done more accurately.
The penalties need to be more specific. At present, Section 15 of the EP Act sets a blanket penalty of up to 5years imprisonment and/ up to 1 lakh fine along with additional daily fine for continuing offence, for all type of guideline failures of EP Act. There needs to be specific penalties for specific offences based on the level of damage.
Further the role of the officials of MoEFCC and that of the CEA must be clearly defined to prevent overlap and passing of responsibility.
The implementation of EP Act norms should have time-based targets and periodic monitoring of TPPs to follow improvements.

Way Forward:

We must shift more aggressively towards Renewable Energy but the shift has to be well thought out. The amount of water used by certain RE sectors needs to be regulated too. E.g. the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has issued a notice to the state governments on reducing water use for cleaning solar panels and to explore other alternative mechanisms to ensure that solar panels remain efficient.
India will need to balance the need of a growing economy with its increasing water stress. Stringent implementation of standards for judicious use of water by TPPs, combined with promotion of RE and energy efficiency, will help achieve this balance.

Arora IAS, [25.07.19 23:19]

The Hindu Editorials (25th July 2019) Mains Sure Shot

GS-2

Question- With focus on Pakistan, access the expanding third-party interventions in South Asia and what are its implications for India. Explain (250 words)

Context- The controversy over the US involvement in Kashmir.

The structural trends in South Asia have been changing over the past several years.
In this scenario if we evaluate India-Pakistan equation over the past 5 years, we can see that both the sides hold a perception that they hold an advantageous position over each other.

Analysis-

India’s confidence is based on the major victory of PM Modi in 2014 which implies a strong Central government and hence expectation of stable ties with all the major powers. And the size of India’s economy.
Pakistan’s confidence is based on the renewed patterns of Pakistan’s ties with the US and China, with China assuring Pakistan’s army on their respective strategic partnerships.
While US’s ties with Pakistan remain obscure, but still very real. We should not forget 1950s and historically, US policy makers have allied with Pakistan whenever Pakistan’s ties with China became stronger.
Pakistan also holds confidence because the US, China and Russia have recognised Pakistan’s role in future settlement of conflict in Afghanistan.
So, based on these both India and Pakistan perceive that they are in comfortable strategic positions. But interests of third parties are becoming significant amd how India will deal with this will mark the success of its overall policy.
For Example- Both the US and China have overlapping interests in Pakistan.
Both of them want a stable Pakistan with Army and competent civilian governance structures and an elite with a wild world view.
The US’s Interest in Pakistan- For the US, Pakistan’s army is an insurance card for maintaining US hegemony in West Asia and for combating Iran.
China’s interest in Pakistan- For China a stable Pakistan can be a partner in Belt and Road initiative and future continental, industrial and energy corridors.
So both the US and China seek a strong, stable and secure Pakistan because that undermines their wider regional interests.
Because if Pakistan becomes radical then India will become more inward and further reduce its ties with Pakistan and this will impact India-US relation because US has its own interests in Pakistan and it cannot break ties with Pakistan.
Also, a radical Pakistan is not good for China’s industrial and connectivity projects.

What does it mean for India and how should India act?

As we saw, even though both the powers are trying to widen their influence in South Asia, they want stability and hence it will not be an adverse geo-political setting for India in medium term.
It will be wise that India maintains its active defensive image i.e. not going aggressive against Pakistan but at the same time retaliating the aggressions that it makes. Like not attacking Pakistan outright but preventing cross-border terror operations on LoC along with punitive strikes as a response to major terrorist attacks on Indian military targets.
This will play a vital role in shaping how third parties view India’s interests and thereby influencing Pakistan’s behaviour in respect to India.
Also if India at all asks for a third party’s assistance in the region, it should ask them to put pressure on Pakistan to stop its proxy war in Kashmir and once an atmosphere of peace has been established, it should ask to put pressure on Pakistan to accept the LoC as a part of final territorial settlement similar to the offer by Indira Gandhi in the 1972 Shimla negotiations

Arora IAS, [25.07.19 23:21]

The Hindu Editorials (25th July 2019) Mains Sure Shot

GS-1

Boss, article making Chennai a water wise city- is on Chennai water crisis. This has already been covered in much better way earlier. Here are the additional points from today’s article. Add it to the previous answer’s way forward part.

The additional points are

There is a need for waste-water recycling and to re-use it for non-consumptive purposes like gardening and flushing toilets.
There are numerous ways through which water can be treated at the point of generation. Several IT companies and high-end residential apartments have already begun implementing the idea.
Also projects are on to experiment with the idea of ‘ conjunctive use of fresh water and treated sewage’- mixing treated sewage with fresh water by letting it into lakes of Porur and Perungudi.

Arora IAS, [26.07.19 19:11]

The Hindu Editorials (26th July 2019) Mains Sure Shot

GS-2 or GS-3 Mains

Question- Analyse the amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and the associated concerns. (200 words)

Context- The proposed amendment to the UAPA Act, 1967.

History:

On the recommendation of the committee on National Integration and Regionalism, the constitutional (sixteenth amendment) Act, 1963, was enacted.
It empowered the parliament to impose, by law, reasonable restrictions in the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India, on- Freedom of speech and expression, Right to Assemble peacefully without arms, and Right to form associations.
The objective of the bill was to make more powers available to deal with activities directed against the sovereignty and integrity of India.
The bill was passed by both the Houses and received the assent of the President on 30th December 1967 and was called the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
This is not the first time the bill is being amended it has been amended earlier too.

What the bill proposes?

It redefines the phrase “who may commit terrorism”. It establishes that the Centre may designate any organisation or individuals as terrorist if it- a. commits or participates in acts of terrorism, b. prepares for terrorism, c. promotes terrorism, or d. is otherwise involved in terrorism.

The provision that the government can designate an individual as terrorist on the same ground is an addition.

It also empowers the officers of the NIA of the rank of Inspector or above, to investigate cases. Earlier an investigation of cases was to be conducted by officers of the Deputy Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police or above.
Also if an investigation is conducted by an officer of the NIA, the approval of the Director General of NIA will be required to seize such property. Earlier the approval of the Director General of the Police was required to seize any property that bears any connection to terrorism.
Also the International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005) has been added to the Second Schedule of the original Act through the amendment.

Concerns:

The bill brings ‘individual’ within the scope of UAPA Act. An individual unlike an organisation has right to life and liberty. Any wrongful terrorist tag may have adverse consequences on the reputation, livelihood and career of the individual. So, this makes it necessary that there should be some faster means to redress charges against an individual under UPAP Act. But there is no such provision.
It has properties that might be misused.
Also some members claim that the bill has anti-federal features. It gives powers to the head of the NIA to approve the seize of a property of those individuals in terrorism cases and this overrides the functions of the state government. At present the approval has to be given by the state police head.

Way forward-

There is no doubt that we need stringent laws that show ‘zero tolerance’ towards terrorism, but the government should also take steps to ensure that fundamental rights of an innocent person is not harmed because of misuse.

Arora IAS, [26.07.19 19:13]

The Hindu Editorials (26th July 2019) Mains Sure Shot

GS-2 Mains

Question- What lessons can India learn from Mr. Trump’s mediation claim on Kashmir issue? Do we need a third-party intervention? (250 words)

Context- Mr. Trump’s claim during a press conference.

The US President Mr. Donald Trump made a claim during a press conference that PM Modi has told him at G-20 summit in Japan that he wanted USA to mediate in Kashmir dispute.
This claim has been completely denied by our External Affairs Minister.

Analysis:

Going by the words of our External Affairs Minister, if the claim made the US is untrue then there are some lessons to take away.

First is the understanding (as we saw in yesterday’s article) that America has its own interest in Pakistan. It is eager to pull out its military from Afghanistan and knows that Pakistan is the only country with clout with the Taliban that can help it in reaching its objective.

If Pakistan does manage to persuade Taliban to engage in direct talks with the Afghan government, it can expect substantial dividends from US- may be in the form of a grant beyond $ 1.3 billion that was mentioned at the presser.
So India should be cautious and not expect that in case of a direct confrontation with Pakistan it will get much help from the US.

Second that America and Japan are close allies and they work very closely with each other in the Indo-Pacific region. The Japanese PM takes credit for coining the phrase ‘Indo-Pacific’ which he says implies the importance of India in the region.

But if we take a critical look then it is just another name for containing China. Japan has its own problems with China.
But as we saw since the US has its own interests in Pakistan and Japan and the US are close allies. India should also not expect much gains from Japan either in case of a confrontation with China or Pakistan. China is also the largest trade partner of Japan.
All ‘strategic’ experts are of the view that in the event of a major crisis with China we have to depend solely on ourselves and no other country will come to our help in any meaningful way.
So, it will wise for India to maintain a certain amount of distance from the game other powers are playing.

Back to Kashmir issue:

Both Pakistan and India have their own different positions when they talk about resolving the issue of Kashmir.
When India says it wants to resolve the Kashmir issue it means withdrawal of all Pakistani forces from the whole of J & K.
When Pakistan talks of resolving the Kashmir issue it means removing all Indian forces from J & K followed by a referendum. Pakistan’s interpretation of the UN charter is patently wrong.
So if each country wants to resolve the issue of Kashmir on its own terms the issue will never be solved. But this does not mean we need a third-party intervention. What is required is a reasonable compromise from both sides.
Pakistan’s army is not very keen to resolve the conflict because if Kashmir issue is solved, it will lose its position and pre-eminence in society unlike the Indian army which is very disciplined and apolitical.

Way forward-

In any negotiation both the sides will have to compromise. The only realistic and practical way out is converting the LoC into an international boundary with suitable minor adjustments.

Arora IAS, [29.07.19 02:34]

28th July 2019 The HINDU Important Article -Mains Sure Shot

GS-3 Mains

Question- What is Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)? Will it increase farmers’ incomes? Explain (200 words)

Context- The budget speech of FM.

What is ZBNF?

It is a method of chemical free agriculture drawing from traditional Indian practices.
The idea was originally promoted by Maharashtra agriculturist and Padma Shri recipient Subhash Paekar in mid-1990s as an alternative to Green Revolution methods driven by chemical fertilizers, pesticides and intensive irrigation.
Several states including Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh are aggressively driving a shift towards this model.
It is different from typical organic farming because ZBNF is against vermicomposting, which is the mainstay of typical organic farming, as it introduces the most common composting worm, the European red wiggler (Eisenia fetida) to Indian soils. According to Palekar these worms absorb toxic metals and poison groundwater and soil.

Why is it being promoted?

It was found that the rising cost of the external inputs like chemical fertilizers was one of the main reasons for the rising indebtness of the farmers. The farmers take loans to buy them.
According to National sample Survey Office (NSSO) data, 70% of agricultural households spend more than they earn and more than half of the farmers are in debt.
The production cost can be reduced and farming made into ‘zero budget’ exercise by practising ZBNF.

How does it work?

Instead of commercially produced chemical inputs, the ZBNF promotes the application of inputs like Jeeva Murtha, a mixture of fresh desi cow dung and aged desi cow urine, jaggery, pulse, flour, water and soil- on farmland instead of chemical fertilizers.
The fermented microbial culture add nutrients to the soil and act as a catalyst agent to promote activity of microorganisms and earthworms in the soil.
Only one cow is needed for 30 acres of land and the cow should be of a local Indian breed- not imported Jersey or Holstein.
A similar culture of ZBNF is bijamritra, it is used to treat seeds when concoctions of neem leaves and pulp, tobacco and green chillie prepared for insects and pest management.
ZBNF also promotes soil aeration, minimal watering, intercropping, bunds and topsoil mulching and discourages intensive irrigation and deep ploughing.

Is it effective?

The answer to this is quite skeptical.
A limited study in 2017 in Andhra Pradesh claimed a sharp decline in input costs and improvement in yields.
However, in Maharashtra farmers have gone back to conventional farming after returns from ZBNF dropped after few years.
So, this raises doubts about the method’s efficacy in increasing farmers’ incomes.
The critics of ZBNF also include some in NITI Aayog who say that Green Revolution was needed to make India self-sufficient and ensure food security but a complete shift from the model without sufficient proof might affect overall yields.

Which states already follow it on a large scale?

The original pioneer of ZBNF was Karnataka where ZBNF was adopted as a movement by a State Farmer’s Association, the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha. They organised large scale training camps to educate the farmers in the method.
It was followed by Andhra Pradesh, that will become the first state to practice 100% natural farming by 2024.
Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttarakhand are set to follow the way.

Budgetary support-

There was no new scheme in the budget to promote it. But there are already existing schemes to promote organic farming and soil health like Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna- Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana.

Arora IAS, [29.07.19 02:34]

Way ahead-

Before introduction of a larger national scale, multi-location studies are needed to scientifically validate the long-term impact and viability of the model.
If found to be successful, a proper institutional mechanism could be set up to promote the technology.
Andhra Pradesh’s experience should be monitored closely to judge the need for further public funding and support.

Arora IAS, [30.07.19 07:18]

The Hindu Editorials (29th July 2019) for Mains Sure Shot

GS-1, 2 ,3 & 4 (Very Important)

Question- Analyse the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 and issues surrounding it.(250 Words)

Context- The cabinet has passed the Bill.

Why in news?

The cabinet has passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019.

The features of the Bill:

The Bill seeks a complete ban on commercial surrogacy and intents to facilitate altruistic surrogacy (i.e. the surrogate mother should be a ‘close relative’ of the intending couple and there should be no monetary transaction involved).
The surrogate should be between 25-35 years and should be married and should have at least one child of her own. And she should not have been a surrogate earlier.
It also bans ‘fashion surrogacy’.
Only Indian couples who have been legally married for 5years would be allowed and the married couple should be between the age group of 23-50 years for female and 26-55 years for male.
The surrogate couple also has to obtain a certificate of essentiality and also a certificate of eligibility.
On the legal status of the surrogate child it states that any child born out of surrogate procedure shall be the biological child of the intending couple and would have all the rights and privileges available to a natural child.
Also no surrogate child can be abandoned by the intending parents.
It also seeks to regulate surrogacy clinics.
The bill provides for various safeguards for the surrogate mother like insurance cover not only during pregnancy but also after that.
It also provides for the constitution of surrogacy boards. And,
The policy of no sex selection.

Need for the Bill:

There are reports that surrogate mothers are exploited by middle men and clinics. They are not paid the promised amount.
There is negligence and lack of care, they are not given proper food or medical treatment and postpartum care is almost negligible.
Reports suggest that commercial surrogacy is also used for trafficking and many foreigners abandon children born through surrogates.
The 228th Law Commission Report on commercial surrogacy recommended banning the practice. However, it made clear that the ban should not be based on vague moral ground or without properly accessing the social ends and purposes of surrogacy.

Issues:

The Bill overlooks the fact that surrogacy is the end process. For surrogacy to happen, first what is needed is embryos, and embryos are cultured in various In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) laboratories. So before bringing Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, we should have brought the already pending Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Bill.
The ART Bill should also have been brought in first because the Surrogacy ( Regulation) Bill, 2019, speaks of ‘donor eggs’ and donor eggs are used for IVF.
The Bill specifies that intending couples should be married India couples. There is no mention of NRIs who want to come to India to have a baby, or of unmarried couples, or transgenders who want to have a baby through surrogacy, gay couples and single men and women.
The Bill altruistic surrogacy. Altruistic surrogacy has failed in other countries and has resulted in various other forms of assistance being given, though money may not be paid. If the couples have to rely on relatives alone, many may not come forward.
The Bill has been drafted without taking into consideration the many physical and emotional factors at stake.
The Bill does not define ‘close relative’ which leaves room for lot of ambiguity and misuse.
According to declaration of Human Rights, 1948, having a child is the basic human right of men and women of full age and capacity without any discrimination based on race, nationality or religion. So if a woman has the right to have a child, a woman’s choice about how to have a child should also be respected.

Arora IAS, [30.07.19 07:18]

Way forward-

There are many other practices that are misused but they are not all banned. To impose a blanket ban where better regulations may have sufficed will only take the entire process underground.
The solution can be seen that the person providing a womb must have a contract, must be paid properly and get insurance and proper medical checks and the relevant parts of the process should be legally documented.

Arora IAS, [30.07.19 23:05]

30th July 2019 The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot

GS-2 Mains

Note- we are covering all important aspects (Becz afgan now become Hot topic for UPSC exam) so that this time editorials little bit long boss.

Question- Analyse the India-Afghan relations and its various aspects. (250 Words)

Context- US trying to pull out of Afghanistan.

An overview of India-Afghanistan relations are as follows:

Historical ties:

India-Afghan relations are not only shaped by bilateral agreements between both the countries but also strong historical and cultural linkages.
The historical links go back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. The people of the Indus Valley had extensive trade with the region.
Following Alexanders occupation of the area corresponding to present day Afghanistan, even the Mauryan empire had an influence over the area.
From 8th century onwards there were many Arab scholars like Al-beruni who came to India through the north-west. From 10th century to the mid-18th century, India was invaded numerous times by invaders through Afghanistan like the Ghaznavids and the Mughals.
During these years Afghans began migrating to India from both trade and political reasons, and Abdul Ghaffar Khan of Afghanistan was a prominent leader of Indian independence movement.

India’s strategic interests in Afghanistan:

In keeping Afghanistan as a friendly state, India can monitor and also assert some influence on Pakistan.
But India’s interests in Afghanistan are more than mere Pakistan-centric, it goes with India’s aspirations to be a dominant regional power.
A peaceful and stable Afghanistan is in favour of India because containing the militant groups like Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba, al-Qaeda based in Afghanistan are important for India’s security.

Diplomatic relations:

India was the only South Asian country to recognise the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in 1980s.
During 1990s Afghan civil war, India aided the overthrow of Taliban.
India also advocated Afghanistan’s membership of SAARC in 2005.
We also signed an agreement on strategic partnership in 2011. It called for closer political ties between the two countries and also on regional and international issues.
In 2015, when Afghanistan was going through major political, economic and strategic transitions, India assured Afghanistan of its long-term support towards its reconstruction and rehabilitation.
Afghanistan also supported India in 2016 on India’s boycott of the SAARC summit hosted by Pakistan.
Since 2001, India has also led many development projects in Afghanistan and other forms of humanitarian assistance.

Economic relations:

India is one of the largest markets in the region for Afghan products.
The inauguration of a Dedicated Air Cargo Corridor in June 2017 between Kabul-Delhi, the bilateral trade between India and Afghanistan is expected to more than double by 2020. At present India’s trade with Afghanistan is approximately $ 900 million.
Afghanistan is also expected to make changes in its existing rules for mineral sector in the country, which will further boost bilateral trade with India.
There are many prominent Indian companies doing business in Afghanistan like Phoenix, APTECH etc.
India has remained Afghanistan’s biggest regional donor, providing about $ 3 billion assistance since 2001.

People to people ties:

There has been strong people to people link between the two countries shaped by history, culture and mutual trust.
At present there are about 25000 Indians in Afghanistan.
India provides medicines and healthcare to Afghanistan and they are highly rated. Many Afghans come to India on medical and tourist visas.
There are more than 12000 Afghan students pursuing education in Indian universities.
India also provides scholarships for the children of the martyrs of Afghan Security Forces.
Indian TV serials and movies are very popular among the Afghans.

Arora IAS, [30.07.19 23:05]

Development Assistance:

India has constructed Afghan-India friendship dam (earlier called Salma Dam).
India has helped build the Delaram-Zaranj highway connecting the Delaram district in Afghanistan to the border of Iran.
As a goodwill gesture, India also constructed new Parliament building in Afghanistan.
In 2014 we helped establish an agricultural university in Kandahar.
India also constructed many primary and secondary education and healthcare facilities in Afghanistan.
India is also running several capacity building programmes for Afghan civil servants and Afghan National Security Forces.
India has agreed to implement new projects like Shahtoot Dam, roads and other low-cost housing for resettling Afghan refugees.

Challenges in Indo-Afghan relations-

Lack of geographical contiguity and limited access since Afghanistan is a land locked country and Pakistan lies in between.
Pakistan’s continuous interference in Afghan affairs through proxies like Haqqani network.
Growing terrorism in Afghanistan.
The Golden Crescent of which Afghanistan is a part is the most extensive opium producing belt and drugs are supplied from Afghanistan to Punjab is a matter of big concern due to increased demand among youth.
In 2011 Afghanistan and Pakistan signed Afghanistan Pakistan Trade Transit Agreement (APTTA) which has been restrictive in bilateral trade between India and Afghanistan.
Also there is growing Chinese influence in Afghanistan.
Half of the country is directly or indirectly controlled by Taliban. In eastern part the IS has established its presence. The government is weak and is ridden with corruption and is unable to fulfil the basic rights of the citizens.

Way forward:

Keeping in mind the U.S. shift in policy towards Afghanistan and its decision to pull out its troops from the country, India must keep a close watch to ensure that stability is maintained because any instability could be a major security threat.
India enjoys a goodwill among Afghan people. It should try to maintain that as a base of its soft power.
It should continue its developmental assistance.
India should see to the proper implementation of the trilateral agreement between Iran, Afghanistan and India concerning the Chahbahar port to improve connectivity. And,
Our Afghan policy should also be made keeping into account our energy security and the TAPI pipeline.

Arora IAS, [31.07.19 21:56]

31st July 2019

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot

GS-1 or GS-2

Question 1.- In the context of women empowerment in India, can other states learn from Odisha’s model?Discuss ( 250 words)

Context – The improved level of political and financial development of women in Odisha.

What do we mean by empowerment?

Empowerment is the process by which people can take decisions of their own lives and form opinions and not be dependent on the assistance of someone else, be it financial or social.
Women empowerment includes raising the status of women through various means such as education, financial assistance to establish their own business or reservation in the political domain to increase their participation in policy framing process.
From previous examples it is seen that if there are a greater number of women in politics, there is a concomitant increase in the level of attention given to gender-specific policy and planning. Thus for a country like India where the social position of women is widely defined by the patriarchal mindset, it is important to bring more women representation in the parliament.

The present scenario:

The number of women taking leadership roles in India is far less than the global average.
The representation of women MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha of only three per cent, from 11 per cent in 2014 to 14 per cent in 2019. But it is still lower than the global average of 24.3 per cent.
In 2019, 715 women contested the Lok Sabha elections, while the number of men who contested was 7,334.

Odisha’s example of women’s empowerment:

Odisha may be one of the most underdeveloped states in India and lacking in several human development indicators but other states can take a clue from Odisha’s model of women’s empowerment.
The Odisha government was one of the first to reserve 50 per cent of seats in the Panchayati Raj institutions for women. Further the present Odisha government nominated women in one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha elections. so out of the total 21 members fielded, 7 were women and the success rate among women was higher than that of men. Five out of the seven women won the elections.
It not only empowered women in politics but also started a flagship programme called ‘Mission Shakti’. The programme aims at empowering women by helping them start income-generating activities. Under this mission Odisha has six lakh self-help groups (SHGs) with 7 million women under it. This has been successful in empowering women economically.
Further the government has linked these SHGs to the Odisha Livelihood Mission and Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society. The members of these SHGs are encouraged to sell their products at fairs and exhibitions as a deliberate and strategic move to bring these SHG members to the forefront of public life.
The government has also announced several sops for women like smart-phones, awarding work contracts, and higher entitlements in the state’s health insurance scheme. The state government has also announced an accidental insurance scheme for all members of the SHGs.
All these have yielded good results to empower women and women’s empowerment in Odisha at present is far higher than it was two decades ago.

Way ahead:

Governmental assistance of this kind send signals to both rural and urban women that they can aspire to reach higher positions in life.
The other governments can take a clue from Odisha’s example.
Above all what is needed is political will.

Arora IAS, [31.07.19 22:00]

31st July 2019

The Hindu Editorials Mains Sure Shot

GS-1 or GS-2

Question 2.- The government has launched several programmes for the development of the North-East, in this backdrop can India take a lesson from Yunnan’s example?Explain ( 250 words)

Context – the Northeast positioned as a gateway to the ASEAN.

With the government focusing on its Act East Policy, Northeast lies as the gateway to the ASEAN. So the development of this region in areas of connectivity, border trade and ecotourism becomes all the more important.
So far as domestic policy is concerned, the development of the Northeast has now been aligned with national strategic and economic objectives.
The underlying assumption is that trade across the borders with usher in economic prosperity in the Northeast region.
In this backdrop we can draw a comparison between China’s Yunnan province and the Northeast and try to take a lesson for future policy formulations.

Similarities:

Yunnan and the Northeast have much in common:

populations of a similar size, mountainous regions, diverse indigenous communities, a rich natural resource base, huge hydropower potential and historically lower levels of development.
Yunnan shares a 4,000 km-long international border with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. The Northeast abuts China, Myanmar and Bangladesh over a length of 5,000 km. Yet, behind these apparent similarities lie stark contrasts in economic reality.

Contrasts:

The GDP of Yunnan is about $265 billion, of which tourism contributes nearly a quarter. Trade across the land border of Yunnan with ASEAN is in the range of $14 billion, half of which is with Myanmar.
In contrast, the combined GSDP of the Northeast is approximately $65 billion. A restrictive regulatory regime (Inner Line Permit for domestic tourists and Restricted Area Permit for foreigners) poses entry barriers. Indian border trade with Myanmar (through the sole functional custom station at Moreh) has hovered around $50 million for several years.
This calls for a closer look at three crucial aspects: 1. connectivity, 2. border trade and 3. ecotourism.

Connectivity:

Air- Compared to Yunnan the connectivity in the Northeast is weak. Kunming, the headquarter of Yunnan, has a flourishing international airport. While it is for the first time, that all the eight states of the Northeast have at least one functioning civilian airport, with efficient internal connectivity via Kolkata and Guwahati. International flights to Dhaka have commenced recently, and flights to Bangkok and four more cities of ASEAN are still in the pipeline under UDAN scheme.
Rail- Yunnan has a rail network connecting cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The rail footprint in the Northeast is weak, though the Railway Ministry has announced its intent to ensure internal rail connectivity by March 2022.
Road- Yunnan has an impressive highway network providing city to port connectivity. The Northeast has seen a spurt of public investments in national highways and bridges, with remarkable results in the last few years, though internal roads remain a challenge.

Arora IAS, [31.07.19 22:00]

Border trade:

Yunnan has a well crafted trade strategy, while border trade across the Northeast has been sluggish. The Ruili Border Economic Zone is the main hub for facilitating Yunnan’s trade with Myanmar. Ruili city has transformed from being a sleepy border town to a thriving economic zone. China is now aspiring to develop an economic zone with Myanmar between Ruili and Muse. The project aims to develop core infrastructure and invite private investment for manufacturing, processing, trading and warehousing.
The Zokhawthar land customs station in Mizoram has fragmented infrastructure and barely sees any formal trade. Trade across the integrated check post at Moreh in Manipur has shown promise.
Absence of robust internal connectivity, infrastructure for logistics, warehousing and processing has hampered meaningful trade. Ambitious transnational projects, such as the Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project, have also been slow to take off on account of niggling land acquisition problems.

Ecotourism:

Yunnan has experimented with a number of initiatives towrds promoting ecotourism.
It has connected its ecotourism drive with the local communities.
Its ecotourism is based on the model of ‘ecological villages’, showcasing the culture, architecture, customs and cuisine of the Dai ethnic people in Xishuangbanna. The villagers partner through land leasing arrangements with companies, allowing tourists to catch a glimpse into the Dai way of life.
Nagaland has made a good beginning with the Hornbill festival, but there are opportunities in other States too. Following this path would help encourage private investment in tourism infrastructure. Tourism revolving around ecology, culture and ethnicity would ensure that there is no disruption in the tribal way of life and contribute to the economy.

Way ahead:

The focus on the development of the Northeast has started yielded results in the last few years.
But now it is time for the states to build their own plans and implement them robustly.
They can always learn from Yunnan’s example.

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