February Monthly Magazine

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PREFACE
With the present shift in examination pattern of UPSC Civil Services Examination, General
Studies II and General Studies III can safely be replaced with Current Affairs. Moreover,
following the recent trend of UPSC, almost all the questions are issue-based rather than
news-based. Therefore, the right approach to preparation is to prepare issues, rather than
just reading news.
Taking this into account, our website www.iasbaba.com will cover current affairs focusing
more on issues on a daily basis. This will help you pick up relevant news items of the day
from various national dailies such as The Hindu, Indian Express, Business Standard, LiveMint,
Business Line and other important Online sources. Over time, some of these news items will
become important issues.
UPSC has the knack of picking such issues and asking general opinion based questions.
Answering such questions will require general awareness and an overall understanding of
the issue. Therefore, we intend to create the right understanding among aspirants How to
cover these issues?
This is the Ninth edition of IASbabas Monthly Magazine. This edition covers all important
issues that were in news in the month of February 2016
Value adds from IASbaba- Must Read and Connecting the dots.
For Mind Maps- Refer to http://iasbaba.com/babas-daily-news-analysis/
Must Read section, will give you important links to be read from exam perspective. This
will make sure that, you dont miss out on any important news/editorials from various
newspapers on daily basis.
Under each news article, Connecting the dots facilitates your thinking to connect and
ponder over various aspects of an issue. Basically, it helps you in understanding an issue
from multi-dimensional view-point. You will understand its importance while giving Mains
or Interview.
Everyone can run a few miles.. But only Winners can run a marathon ..
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out
All the Best
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INDEX
NATIONAL
Indias education system

PPP Model- Rural Broadband Network
State and the Tribal Communities- Economic Injustice
Removing constraints in Higher Education
Racism: Taking Pride in Prejudice
TRAI rules in favour of Net neutrality
Indias digital transformation
Dissent and Freedom in India
Women Empowerment: Economic agency- An enabling factor for Women
Sedition: An unconstitutional tool
Urbanization: Cities at crossroads- Why cities matter?
Dalits and social justice: then and now
Is death of Sanskrit nearing?
Pharmaceutical Sector: Indias Drug Policy
Reservation: Why Jats want a quota?
Patriotism without nationalism
Drug Pricing: Critical IllnessA Gold mine
News Ombudsman: Holding the newspaper to account
INTERNATIONAL
(Pages 5-54)
(Pages 55-83)
Negotiating with the Taliban

Seizing the One Belt, One Road opportunity
Defending the diaspora
Zika Virus Public Health Emergency
Palestines deepening occupation
Indian Navy: Centrality of Indian Ocean for Indias prosperity and security
Revisiting Pakistan before the window shuts again
A country in free fall: Syria
Operationalising 'Blue Diplomacy'
Bringing India's growth online
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ECONOMICS
Need to Revive Agriculture

From Plate to Plough: How to expand financial inclusion
Insure farmers, ensure their future
Fiscal responsibility and federalism
Agricultural issues: Going against the grain
Auto components: growth through innovation and competitiveness
Distress amongst Indian factories
Neem-coated truth: Urea policy isn't a game-changer
Agricultural research: The real yellow revolution
Labour in the 21st century
For a Robust Competition Law- Competition Commission of India (CCI)
Is taxing agricultural income at minimal rates a good idea?
Transforming India into a cashless economy
Rail Budget 2016: A balance between growth, operation efficiency
Economic Survey 2016-17: A snapshot
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(Pages 84-132)
(Pages 133-141)
Biotech- Answer to edible oil shortage

Landmark announcement on gravitational waves may shed light on early universe
Public Good named Life science
ENVIRONMENT
(Pages 142-149)
1.
Skill up or scale down ambitions in Renewable solar energy:
A tale of Kudremukh Western Ghats
DEFENCE/SECURITY
(Pages 150-153)
Maritime Security: Indias challenge of securing the seas
MUST READ
(Pages 154-199)
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NATIONAL
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and

issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector or Services
relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Indias education system

One of the greatest unmet challenges of contemporary India has been education and while
it might not be appropriate to just talk about the Indian Education System as a failure but a
rethinking is required as the state has not been able to live up to its self-professed role of
providing education to all.
The elements important for Education to achieve
Provision of skills required for professional growth

Provision of life skills, including soft skills, maturity, and emotional growth
Building a strong character for being a good human being and citizen
Culture is an activity of thought, and receptiveness to beauty and humane feelings. Scraps
of information have nothing to do with it. A merely well informed man is the most useless
bore on Gods earth. What we should aim at producing, is men who possess both culture and
expert knowledge in some special direction. Their expert knowledge will give them a ground
to start from and their culture will lead them as deep as philosophy and as high as art.
-Alfred North Whitehead (1929: 13),
Roadblocks to Recovery
Systemic problems in our education machinery:
Theres a lack of understanding (teachers) of the methodologies forwarded to be

included
World Bank: The average pupil-teacher ratio at the primary level in India is 35 this is the
highest among emerging economies, and much higher when compared to the developed
world.
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High pupil-teacher ratio: Impedes the imparting of soft skills and has an adverse
impact on the emotional growth of children
Heavily Regulated Private Sector: Hampered by archaic laws that discourages, and
even prohibits, innovation.
Abundance of alternatives:
Renders the formal system ineffective

De-linked from industrys requirements (on-job training)
National Employability Report 2014 found that only 18 per cent of engineering
graduates are employable
Does not recognise the current needs of students nor provides the desired
infrastructure
Need of differentiation and innovation is overshadowed with the standardised
methodology and tasks cut out to suit and fill the governmental vacancies
Extensive Changes in the Landscape

Rethink:
Necessity of children spending 12 years in school, compartmentalised into different

classes with a nationally fixed curriculum
Which is the most desirable way to develop children?
Why should two kids in Class 8 study the same level of maths and history when one
of them is passionate about maths and the other about history?
Way Ahead:
The initial 12 years (best learning years) can be better spent in learning some other skills
that will help them lead a happier and more successful life
Elementary education has to be made available to all Enrolment numbers as well as the
standard of education imparted
Secondary school system: Requires huge expansion with innovative pedagogical practices
Economically disadvantaged: More schools and dedicated teachers to rescue these children
from illiteracy and un-education
De-cluttered Approach: Should not clutter the mind of young children with too much
information and too many disparate ideas
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Build up on Natural Curiosity: It is through playful activity that the child acquires the most
valuable educationthe joy of discovery and understanding; it acquires the art of the
utilisation of knowledge they are naturally endowed with
Multilingual school system:
it resists the tyranny of linguistic majoritarianism which only generates the highly
flawed idea of identity politics;
it promotes social inclusiveness;
it helps equalise opportunity for social mobility;
it helps geographical mobility;
it enables interaction with a larger community;
it opens up ever-widening horizons of learning
Learning & Writing: Early training in the learning of languages as well as writing are valuable
assets as writing and thinking go together and exercises the mind. The child learns first-hand
how to organise information and the art of presenting them in a coherent manner helping
them later during their professional life.
Foundation of Humanities: Provide the young students understanding of the human
condition and understanding is useful for living an examined life.
Dedicated teachers who are artists:
Nurture young minds that derive pleasure from it and are passionate about it are
required in increasingly large numbers and need to be continuously replenished
Teach through imaginative methods including a judicious mix of modern
technologies and manual skills
Developing the childlike inclination to play and encourage independent thinking
Instead of standardised textbooks, it is a schoolteacher who should devise
workbooks appropriate to the local circumstances and the social background of
children
Should be given minimum coercive powers and maximum freedom so that they can
devise their pedagogical practices without external pressure and interference
Connecting the Dots:
Policymakers should be facilitators and not implementers- Critically examine
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TOPIC:
General studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in

various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
General studies 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways, etc;
Investment models.
PPP Model- Rural Broadband Network

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai): Has recommended a public-private
partnership (PPP) model for BharatNet, an ambitious project involving setting up a
broadband network in rural India
BharatNet:
Previously known as: National Optical Fibre Network
Project cost: Has increased to about Rs 70,000 crore
Handling the rolling out the Optical Fibre Network:
Special purpose vehicle, the Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL)

BBNL- Under the Telecom Ministry
Executing Agencies: By BSNL, Railtel and Power Grid
Appropriate Model: Private Incentives + Long-term service delivery

Why PPP
Instrument for easing finance and capacity constraints

Combines the private sectors capacity for delivery with the Governments role as an
enabler and regulator to overcome market failures
Effective tool towards ensuring competition in service delivery and improvement in
quality of service
Concessionaires be given the job of:
Deploying the optical fibre cable and other network infrastructure

Operating the network during the period of contract
Contract Period: 25 years which can be further extended in block of 10, 20 or 30
years
Selection of Concessionaire: Reverse Bidding
Ensure no discrimination by them:
Arm's length relationship between concessionaire and service providers
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50 per cent of the optical fibre should be reserved for telecom and cable service
providers
Government should become a minority partner of the concessionaire with 26 per
cent stake (Will lower financing cost and risk as well as keep a tab on their
monopolistic behaviour)
Funding To bridge the loss incurred due to higher operational expenses and lower
commercial accruals
There is a need to focus on:
The design of the finance and investment model for future roll-out of broadband
The central and state governments become anchor clients of this project and
purchase a bandwidth of 100 megabytes per second at market rate.
Bringing down the Internet Divide between Rural and Urban India
The total number of broadband (defined as download speeds >=512 Kbps)
subscribers stood at 120.88 million
Largely concentrated in Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra
and Tamil Nadu), with only 27.20 million rural subscribers
Important
Rural broadband access will help address multiple service deficits that arise due
to other infrastructure related constraints widespread among the rural
population and the potential gains from increasing such access are tremendous
Report of the Committee on NOFN: An additional 25 million Internet users by
2018-19 would result in economic benefits of Rs 66,465 crore due to the direct,
indirect and spill over benefits of Internet access.
Connecting the dots:
What do you mean by an EPC Model? List out the salient features of both PPP and
EPC Model?
According to TRAI a PPP model works better than EPC model. Do you agree? Explain
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TOPIC:
General studies 1:
Social empowerment, Development Issues
General studies 2:
Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, Local Government;
Indian Constitution- features, amendments, significant provisions
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States
and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies
constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
State and the Tribal Communities- Economic Injustice
Indigenous tribes: Constitutes about 8% of Indias population (about 100 million people)
Legislation
Forest Rights Act (2006) Communities had the sole right to sell proceeds from
forests
Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (1996)Established a framework
for local self-governance in demarcated (or scheduled) areas. The FRA clarified
further that these communities had the sole right to sell proceeds from forests.
Implementation of PESA and FRA Fraught with challenges

In a nutshell, riddled with
Procedural Delays
Bureaucratic Complications
Corruption
Resistance & Interference from the Forest Department
Interests of Government backed Corporate Group
Land Mafias and vested interests
Process of documenting tribal claims is a difficult task, involving democratically constituted

Gram Sabhas (Village Assemblies) as per the provisions of the 73rd Constitutional
Amendment on Panchayati Raj and PESA
Identified land- Lower in size

Faulty GPS
Forged Revenue records
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Ongoing power struggle between the bureaucracy and tribal communitiesThe main
culprit is mostly the limited interpretation of the acts, with governments recognising only
individual property and not community ownership of land leading to a lack of evidence on
the ground for the stated joint ownership
Difficult to furnish proof of residence at times

Appeals against non-implementation: No institutional Mechanism
No awareness program
No valid reasons behind rejection
Improper Social Audit
Assault on tribal lifestyles and livelihoods States with a large proportion of tribals would
like to be free from central regulations that restrict them from exploiting the resource-rich
catchments that lie within their territory but the Union has changed the law to throw open
up to 40% of the countrys (ostensibly only degraded) forests to private sector management.
Degraded forests are not as expendable as the MoEF makes them out to be as the
degraded natural forests have 50-100 species of trees per hectare and allowing the
private sector to use these lands for monoculture could have a ruinous impact on
the ecosystem.
These guidelines also states that tribal communities could access forest produce in
only 10-15% of the land proposed to be leased out to private players; if
implemented, would be in contravention of the FRA that recognised tribal
communities as the owners and managers of their forests
IASbabas Views
The struggle behind the establishment of the local governance in the tribal areas
have not been easy and therefore, the government should make an attempt to
sensitively taking care of all the loopholes- right from hand-holding and capacity
building to utilising funds and executing projects.
Better infrastructural facilities will prove to be a lifeline in advancing the
economic usage of the forest produce
Prohibit forest department officials to demand transit permits for transport of
minor forest produce
Gram Sabhas: Should be made the body to give permits and make plans for
forest conservation and protection
Efforts should be put in via the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in protecting the rights of
tribal communities thereby, acting as a benchmark for the officials and activists to
adhere to in future
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Political support is the key and thus, right from the issues plaguing Panchayati Raj to
the CPR issues, the friction can be at least contained if the priorities are set right in a
proper way within a recognized framework Containment of the understandable
degree of natural friction between the development priorities of the state and the
development priorities of tribal communities, with a third perspective of the
development priorities of civil society that is working to improve tribal welfare
Is there a requirement of hamlet-level gram sabhas in tribal areas? Discuss the need
and its importance.
Discuss the back-breaking tale of the obstruction of the workings of the Forest Rights
Act.
Related Articles:
Tribal Ministry relents over Forest Rights Act (FRA)
http://iasbaba.com/2016/01/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-8th-january-2016/
TOPIC:
General studies 2:

Removing constraints in Higher Education
Commercialization of EducationA phenomena worth looking forward to?
Element of Resistance to privatizing education and foreign investment is often based on
flawed assumptions that Privatization inevitably leads to
Profiteering
Compromises education
Facilitate a global trade in education
Benefit only a minority of students
Public institutions always do a better job
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Nature of Arguments
Points to a belief in an isolated, idealized form of egalitarianism that is unworkable in

practice
Indicates the manner in which those flawed assumptions can lead people to ignore
the experiences of the countries that dominate higher education globally
Privatization
Establishment of big universities with state-of-the-art facilities may not serve the purpose of
educating and training every one of the multitude of Indias youth, but they raise the bar by
creating healthy competition
Definite beneficial spill-over effects:
Shall lead to establishment of enterprises dependent upon the human resources

Drive the entire citys urban growth (if integrated within the city)
Private institutions & India
Account for almost two-thirds of the higher education in India (according to a 2011
Report by Ernst and Young and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry)
Stifled by barriers present at every level for these institutionsEntry, Operation and
Exit
Issues with Private Universities and deemed universities

No power to affiliate colleges, fix salaries of their faculty or even include courses in their
colleges
FDI with unnecessary riders:
Restrictions on entry of foreign universities, foreign faculty and foreign collaboration

Not-for-profit principle
Permitting only Section 25 companies with no foreign investment to invest in
technical institutes
FDI:100% foreign direct investment (FDI) is allowed in the education sector
Way Ahead
World Economic Forums latest Report The Future of Jobs: 65% of current primary
schoolchildren will end up working in completely new jobs that do not exist yet
Need to
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Government needs to clear the Foreign Universities Bill as well as amend and align the
way different arms of the govt. treat FDI in the education sector
There exists a direct link between states that have higher "knowledge direction" and the
state of their economiesStates that lay more emphasis on the quality and depth of their
higher education are economically better placed than those that do not
Grant autonomy to private institutions,

Liberalize laws for foreign entrants
Formulate a common framework wherein the different wings of the government
brainstorm and echo the same principals as well as aspirations, thus, ruling out
disharmony and inconsistencies
Evolve a dynamic course structure through a symbiotic association with both private
and foreign partners, to keep pace with the world of nanotechnology, biotechnology,
robotics and space research
Involve research as an essential part of the curriculum and link it with the industrys
requirements.
Digital India Fund set aside for education may be effectively used for complementing
these objectives through information and communication technology (ICT) and
massive open online courses (MOOCs)
Crystal clear regulatory framework needs to be evolved: Having a strong monitoring
and quality control process
Need to work on the softer aspects/issues stifling the education sector:
Should set up teacher training academies to bridge the shortage of teachers
Make definite attempts to improve the quality of teaching staff
Make teaching a career of choice and raise salaries to harness the potential of
educators
Steps that have been taken:

Allocation of almost Rs 99,000 crore under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan
(RUSA)
Improvement in higher education institutes, especially in infrastructure in the 12th

and 13th Five- Year Plans
Centre (Rs 69,675 crore); States (Rs 28,459 crore)
States have thus become an important part in making this scheme a success
Setting up of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and an Indian Institute of

Management (IIM) in each state
High demand for seats in these institutes; this will make them more accessible for
everyone
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Expected to have a rub off on other educational institutes in the stateact as a role
model, for other colleges in the region to emulate.
Higher education in India needs more than just reform. It requires a revolution. Think.
TOPIC:
General studies 1:
Demography and developmental issues, their problems and their remedies. Effects
of globalization on Indian society. Social empowerment, communalism,
regionalism & secularism, racism
General studies 2:
Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and
betterment of these vulnerable sections.
General studies 3:
Challenges to internal security; Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Racism: Taking Pride in Prejudice

Racism playing a major role in our day to day life has become a common phenomenon and
when it takes a violent turn, the burning wrath flares up and burns along many
misconceptions placed. More so, because of the various forms of internalisations already
established in ones system of thought process
Are Indians Racist?
YES
Presence of advertisements that asks us to transform the colour of our skin

Applauding of a film in which the heroine cringes after sleeping with a black man
Scenes that entertain us the most are on the lines of Rajinikanth drinking gallons of
saffron milk and lying in a tub of multanimitti in the hope of being worthy enough to
woo his pretty fair-skinned love
Hearing people at weddings say that the bride is too fair for the groom
Complimenting a dark-skinned person grudgingly: shes pretty despite being dark
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Eye-openers (on paper)

Death of an Arunachal Pradesh college student Nido Tania in 2014 portraying again the
biases exhibited; people from the Northeast would being harassed by employers and
landlords, and the case of their feeling Bengaluru in 2012 following rumours about violent
attacks being planned against them
Survey conducted in 2012 by the North-East India Image Managers about the perception
of people from other parts of the country about the Northeast:
52 per cent of respondents had a negative perception about the region
Riddled with insurgency and the most unsafe place in the country
People with mongoloid features and weird food habits and an alien culture
87 per cent of working professionals spoken to couldnt name the seven Northeast States.
Let us deal with the socio-psychological aspects of it
Combating racism in India:
First- Requires acceptance of its existence
Second- Involves understanding the definition of racism as racism does not concern
prejudices alone; it is a system of oppression, one that creates two sets of people: the
powerful and the powerless, those whose citizenship is taken for granted and those whose
citizenship is questioned every other day
M.P. Bezbaruah chaired Committee:
Was set up following the shocking attack and murder of 19-year-old Nido Tania at a South
Delhi market in 2014
Suggested several measures that would ensure that the people of the Northeast feel more
included
New law against discrimination:
Either a new law should be promulgated or the Indian Penal Code should be
amended and the offence should be cognizable and non-bailable.
The investigation of the FIR should be completed in 60 days by a special squad and
investigated by a police officer not below the rank of deputy SP or ACP.
A special prosecutor should be appointed to handle all such cases of atrocities and
the trial should be completed in 90 days.
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Fast-track courts and special police squads:
Creation of fast-track courts for handling the cases relating to the North East people,
particularly those which are racially motivated and involving heinous crimes against
the North East women and children
Specially designated public prosecutors should be appointed for cases involving
people from the North East and be properly trained and sensitised.
Creation of a special squad supervised by the North East Special Police Unit would go
a long way in ensuring speedy justice in criminal cases as the squad could be manned
by people specially selected for such purposes and they could be specially trained
and sensitised about the problems of people from the North East.
Interventions in Education:
Suitable innovative ways should be devised to integrate each and every aspect of the
North East into the consciousness of people outside
Universities and schools outside the North East make projects on North East a
mandatory part of the course curricula
A detailed socio-economic study of the nature of student migration from the North
East would be worthwhile as it will provide valuable insight for planning of higher
education in the region.
Social media outreach and legal awareness campaigns:
The committee recommends legal awareness campaigns and underlines the role of
social media in improving connectivity and communication with the community
A dedicated Facebook page should be created and nodal police officers should be in
constant touch with members of the community on WhatsApp.
Bonding power of sports:
Ministry should take steps to hold regular national and international events in the
North East as such events will create greater harmony and better understanding
Review the status of present facilities and make an assessment if they are suitable
for such events and if not, such facilities should be created in every state of the
North East.
Indigenous games of the North East should be promoted.
It is time for India to confront an embedded racism
The tardiness of the police and their reluctance to protect the victim should be
probed while making sure that a responsive police and legal apparatus are in place
as it is crucial for securing the rights of minorities, whether women, Dalits, citizens
from the Northeast or visitors from Africa.
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Indians need to take drastic action to end racism against black Africans as India
cannot become a leading player in world affairs while behaving like animals toward
foreigners in our country.
Also, the Indian expectation of equal treatment is justified; provided we do unto
others as we expect others to do unto us.
Education of young people and police on the evils of racism is imperative along with
the featuring of famous personalities in public information TV commercials on the
evils of racism
Enlist the short-term and long-term measures that must be taken by the government
to counter the discrimination faced by North-Eastern and African community.
Is India a racist country? How do you combat racism? How are the other countries
dealing with this social evil?
TOPIC:
General studies 2:

Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
General studies 3:
Science and Technology - developments and their applications and effects in
everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of
technology and developing new technology.
Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
The telecom regulator recently struck down differential pricing for internet services
offered by telecom players to mobile users, in a bid to uphold the principles of net
neutrality.
This will be a big blow to Facebooks Free Basics and other zero-rated platforms such
as Airtel Zero for which the social media giant, Facebook had launched an aggressive
campaign in December last year.
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What is the recent TRAI ruling?
No service provider can offer or charge discriminatory tariffs for data services on the
basis of content.
No service provider shall enter into any arrangement, agreement or contract, by
whatever name called, with any person, natural or legal, that the effect of
discriminatory tariffs for data services being offered or charged by the service
provider for the purpose of evading the prohibition in this regulation.
Reduced tariff for accessing or providing emergency services, or at times of public
emergency has been permitted.
Financial disincentives for contravention of the regulation have also been specified
at the rate of Rs. 50,000 per day, subject to a maximum of Rs. 50 lakh, for any
violation of the regulations by the service providers.
No differential rates for data services, rules TRAI:
Differential pricing means charging customers different prices for access to different
websites and services.
Zero-rating platforms are services developed by telcos in partnership with internet
service providers (ISPs)/app makers come give free access to customers for certain
applications/websites.
TRAI had issued a consultation paper just about 60 days ago on differential pricing TRAI
deliberated on the issue for quite some time and anything on Internet cannot be
differently priced. This is the broad point that TRAI highlighted in the regulation.
The TRAI said tariff for data services could not vary on the basis of the
website/application/ platform/ or type of content being accessed.
For example, a consumer could not be charged differently based on whether she
was browsing social media site A or B, or on whether she was watching streaming
videos or shopping on the Internet, it added.
Disappointed: Facebook
In an emailed statement, a Facebook spokesperson said, While disappointed with the
outcome, we will continue our efforts to eliminate barriers and give the unconnected an
easier path to the Internet and the opportunities it brings.
Criticisms regarding TRAI ruling:
1. Differential pricing is an effective marketing tool and would help in bringing online
the next one billion people. However with the TRAI ruling, less investments are
expected into the internet sector when the government is pushing adoption of
Internet.
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2. It will negatively impact the growth of the industry and the consumers who may
need such plans to afford data connections.
3. Differential pricing for different levels of services was a well-accepted principle
across all industries and the concept inherently recognised the economic principle of
paying differently for different levels of service and experience.
Net Neutrality in different countries:
United States:
The term net neutrality was coined in the US by law professor Tim Wu while
discussing competing contents and applications.
In the latest in the net neutrality tussle, Federal courts have given go ahead to rules
that prevent net firms from blocking or slowing down online traffic.
The courts are not postponing implementation of net neutrality rules, despite
opposition from firms such as Verizon and AT&T. The Federal Communications
Commission is fighting to uphold net neutrality.
European Union:
European Parliament in September 2015 voted against net neutrality for the entire
Union. Only Slovenia and the Netherlands have net neutrality laws.
Australia:
The countrys National Broadband Network (NBN) is holding discussions on net

neutrality. NBN says the issue needs to be debated widely before taking a final
decision
China:
While China claims to have net neutrality, experts say internet service providers are
owned and operated by the government, which has an iron grip on the content.
In the early days of the internet in China, the Communist Party stopped attempts by
Chinas Democracy Party to establish free internet access.
Experts say the Chinese government employs sophisticated technology to limit
content online.
Positive indication:
Meanwhile, Net Neutrality activists see it as a positive indication for future

regulations on issues such as regulation of over the top applications such as
WhatsApp and Skype.
The regulations are very progressive.
They do not seek a middle ground but take a clear stand, which is very much
essential for a democratic country like India.
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What do you understand by net neutrality? Is free basics initiative of Facebook a

violation of net neutrality? Substantiate
Explain the terms differential pricing and zero rating used in telecom sector.
Critically examine the implications of the recent TRAI ruling over net neutrality in
achieving the objectives of Digital India scheme.
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
issues arising out of their design and implementation; Important aspects of
governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance-applications, models,
successes, limitations and potential
General studies 3:
Science and Technology- Developments and their applications and effects in
everyday life, Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology; indigenization of
technology and developing new technology
Indias digital transformation
The World Banks recently released World Development Report (WDR) Digital Dividends
provides some answers to the glaring questions regarding Indias digital divide and the
unused dividends.
digital technologies have boosted growth, expanded opportunities, and improved
service delivery; yet their aggregate impact has fallen short and is unevenly distributed
Need to work on its analogue complementsShould strengthen regulations that ensure
competition among businesses, by adapting workers skills to the demands of the new
economy, and by ensuring that government institutions and others are accountable.
Contrast with China
227 million Internet users, compared to 665 million in China

Fewer than two out of every five Indian businesses had an online presence
compared to almost two-thirds of firms in China.
Cost of a 1 Mbit/s residential broadband service in India- 6-10 times higher than in
China
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Digital divide: Across age, gender, geography and income within India is significantly
higher than in China
Aadhaar India scores higher than China in digital adoption by governments
The idea of human capability

India, is unfortunately riddled with a high digital access gap but also has a bigger digital
capability gap
Capability gapAccording to the WDR, arises from two main sources:
the overall business climate and

the quality of human capital
Doing business indicators: India scores considerably below China and therefore, is
important for India to create space for creativity and enterprise and to promote
competition.
Quality of basic infrastructure
Slow pace of growth of - Expressways, logistics, storage, postal delivery system and
reliable supply of electricity hampered the growth of e-commerce in India
The excessively cautious approach of Indian regulators towards disruptive
technological innovations such as mobile money or ride-sharing services has made it
difficult for digital start-ups to enter new markets and achieve scale.
Significant lag: The skills level of the average Indian worker remains significantly behind his
or her Chinese counterpart even though considerable strides have been made in improving
its human capital
Around 25 per cent of Indias adult population cannot read and write compared to
fewer than 5 per cent in China.
Difference in quality of education:

Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) test scores in rural India:
10 per cent of children aged 16 and below cannot identify single-digit numbers
consistently.
Fewer than one in five can do a subtraction, performing considerably below their
grade level.
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Challenges of DI Programme
Implementation: The entire programme is designed as a top level model on the

technological front. Besides the nine pillars of the program is directly related with
the high end consumers but not with the rural customers
Deploying W-Fi Centres & Hotspot: BSNLs (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd) mass
deployment of Wi-Fi hotspots across the country is not widespread.
Improving IT Literacy: Improving IT literacy is very important because the entire

mass which is using internet should know how to secure his/her online data.
Data Vulnerability: Each and every citizen of India would have all the personal
details online including bank details, Income tax details, PAN details which might be
vulnerable if not secured properly. In case this is breached, then any individual
would lose the privacy of the data and would be compromised.
Excessive server Hits: If majority of the population start using online, then definitely
the Government portal sever will start getting more number of hits day by day.
Man-In-The-Middle Attack: It is a type of cyber- attack where a malicious actor

intrudes him/ herself into a conversation between two parties and gains access to
information that the two parties were trying to send to each other.
Security: It is necessary to overcome all the challenges mentioned above with the
help of a proper IT security solution like eScan.
IASbabas Views:
There is a need to develop

Digital Bharat programme- We usually relate Bharat with our rural folk and since the
majority of the population live in rural areas often called Bharat, we actually need a
Digital Bharat programme to ensure that Bharat is as connected and digital as India,
which lives in its metros and cities.
Digital India Year- As to realize Digital India, we need a Digital India decade, or even
to create and keep the momentum sustainable and action oriented, we need at least
a Digital India Year
There exists a direct correlation between broadband connectivity and GDP growth
where broadband would result in bringing best in class of healthcare, education and
banking reaching rural masses which would help in elevating poverty and improving
standard of livings in the rural India. Therefore, it is imperative that focused, persistent
attention be given to each of its pillars so that the big programme does not end up in as
a failure.
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To build infrastructure is a small part of its sustained functionality for which the
approach has to be well-planned, executed and monitored and following steps can be
taken for the same The national optical fibre network should be divided into a number of state-level
projects in order to secure the buy-in of state governments, crucial for obtaining
right-of-way permissions.
Vertical integration of the private infrastructure operator and the service provider
should be permitted in order to strengthen the business case and trigger operational
efficiencies
A phase-wise roll-out should be planned: the universal service need not be a uniform
service
WDR- Even the most sophisticated technologies are no substitute for tackling longstanding shortcomings in other areas most importantly basic health, education and a
regulatory ethos that encourages competition and enterprise. The Aadhaar digital ID
system has become a model for many other countries, helping governments to become
more efficient and more inclusive in expanding services to those who had been left
behind. This should be enhanced more to bring in more widely shared digital dividends
faster growth, more jobs, and better services depending not only on expanding
affordable access to all, but also on making long overdue progress on the analogue
complements of digital investments.
Write a note on digitally underpowered majority online.

Critically discuss the challenges of DI
TOPIC: General Studies 2
Constitution, Polity Fundamental Rights (FR); Governance
Dissent and Freedom in India

We have a tradition of tolerance and plurality. But we and the courts have to work
hard to preserve it
Article 19:
Freedom to express ones views, opinion, and belief, convictions including contempt, enmity
and disaffection openly (applied)
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Article 19 (2)
State can impose reasonable restrictions on this exercise if:
Hampers sovereignty + integrity + security of India

Comes in the way of friendly relations with foreign states
Disruption in Public order
Contempt of Court
Defamation
Incitement to an offence
Restrictions: Not arbitrary and impairment of freedom must be as little as possible

Ushered in an era of Revolutions:
For Independence: Courageous men used their power of free and fearless reasoning
to gift us freedom
Social Change: Voices rose against massive levels of poverty, unemployment,
malnourishment, price rise, and lack of health care, farmers suicides, and
discrimination against the minorities, women and Dalits
Freedom of Press: Most paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the
duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people and this can
be observed in the improvement in ranking (136th) of India in the World Press Index
Freedom 2015.
The unfreedoms heaped on us by our rulers

The penal codes legislated by the imperial rulers still govern important parts of our life. So
have these unfreedoms really ended? Take for examples:
Section 377: Criminalises gay sex
Section 295(A): Related to the sentiments of any religious group wherein a person can be
threatened with jail sentence for hurting the religious sentiments of another, however
personal and however bizarrely delicate that portrayed sentiment might be.
March 3, 2014 JudgementSupreme Court gave priority to the fundamental right of the
people to express themselves, as enshrined in the Constitution.
Far cry from the activities that go beyond the possible explanations
Murders have occurred on grounds of hurt sentiments from other peoples private
eating.
Children have been denied the nourishment of eggs in school meals in parts of India
for the priority of vegetarian sentiments of powerful groups.
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The researched works of leading international scholars have been forced to be

pulped by scared publishers, threatened to be imprisoned for the offence of
allegedly hurting religious sentiments.
Journalists often receive threats or worse for violating the imposed norms of
vigilante groups. The Indian media has a good record of standing up against
intimidation, but freedom of speech and reporting need more social support.
Hindus have been familiar with, and tolerant of, arguments about religious beliefs for
more than 3,000 years
Who knows then, whence it first came into being? Whose eye controls this world in
highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not,
Rigveda, Mandala X, Verse 129
Too tolerant of Intolerance
The silencing of dissent and the generating of fear in the minds of people violate the
demands of personal liberty, but also make it very much harder to have a dialoguebased democratic society.
The present-day phenomenon of intolerance of dissent and of heterodox behaviour
did not start with the present government.
M.F. Husain, one of the leading painters of India, was hounded out of his country
by relentless persecution led by a small organised group, and he did not get the
kind of thundering support that he could have justly expected.
The governments role was much more direct when India became the first
country to ban Salman Rushdies Satanic Verses
So what should we do, as citizens of India who support freedom and liberty?
1. We should move away from blaming the Indian Constitution for what it does not say.
2. We should not allow colonial penal codes that impose unfreedoms to remain
unchallenged.
3. We should not tolerate the intolerance that undermines our democracy, that
impoverishes the lives of many Indians, and that facilitates a culture of impunity of
tormentors.
4. The courts, particularly the Supreme Court, have good reason to examine
comprehensively whether India is not being led seriously astray by the continuation
of the rules of the Raj, which we fought so hard to end. In particular, there is need
for judicial scrutiny of the use that organised tormentors make of an imagined
entitlement of not to be offended (an alleged entitlement that does not seem to
exist in this particular form in any other country).
5. If some states, under the influence of sectarian groups want to extend these
unfreedoms through local legislation (for example, banning particular food), the
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courts surely have to examine the compatibility of these legislation with the
fundamental rights of people, including the right to speech and to personal liberties.
The remedy to evil counsel is more speech, not enforced silence. Comment
Vigilance has been long recognised to be the price of freedom. Discuss
Refer: Growing intolerance towards difference of opinion in India

(http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-15th-october-2015/)
TOPIC:
General Studies 1:
Role of women and womens organization women empowerment
General studies 2:
constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections;
Women Empowerment: Economic agency- An enabling factor for Women
As societies become more equal and every individuals productive capacity is valued
and engaged, economies become more resilient. To build such a society, the key is
inclusivenessto make sure that no group is kept at the margins and subjected to
exploitation.
One particular group that deserves special attention, as it constitutes half the
worlds population, is women. An economy cannot grow to its full potential if its
women are not treated on par with men.
When women are economically empowered, the entire civilization flourishes. And
therefore, an economic agency becomes one of the most enabling elements to
release women from oppression, violence and powerlessness.
Yet until now, a crucial knowledge gap has existed when we talk about the actual
interventions that have been effective at the ground level and those that have collectively
advanced womens rights and economic opportunities.
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Supreme Court Bench- The torchbearer of progressive attitudes towards women

In a directive given to the Chhattisgarh government, the Bench directed the State
government to appoint a woman Excise Sub Inspector as Deputy Superintendent of Police
after granting her relief in the upper age limit.
Richa Mishra & Chhattisgarh Police Executive (Gazetted) Service Recruitment and
Promotion Rules, 2000
Richa Mishras name was not included in the list of successful candidates for the post as she
had crossed the age limit stipulated for the same
Why: As per the Chhattisgarh Police Executive (Gazetted) Service Recruitment and
Promotion Rules, 2000, the upper age limit for appointment to the post of Deputy
Superintendent of Police is 25 years and Ms. Mishra had already crossed that age
Judges:
Overruled this proposition

As per Rule: age relaxation as per Rule 8 of the Rules, 2000 which states, there shall
be age relaxation of ten years for women candidates for direct appointment in all
posts in the services under the State in addition to the upper age limit prescribed in
any service rules or executive instructions.
Judges Statements
It is to encourage women, hitherto known as weaker section, to become
working women, by taking up different vocations, including public employment.
It would naturally lead to empowerment of women, which is the need of the
hour Empowerment of women is perceived as equipping them to be
economically independent, self-reliant, with positive esteem to enable them to
face any situation and they should be able to participate in the development
activities.
There is a bidirectional relationship between economic development and
womens empowerment, defined as improving the ability of women to access
the constituents of development in particular health, education, earning
opportunities, rights, and political participation
The Need
To recognise the
Vital role which women play in the economy

Policy, data collection and programme design
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To emphasise that
Livelihood is a critical requirement for self-affirmation (enhance the outcomes of

development it the self)
Economic power within and outside the household makes a difference to gender
relations (strengthening of the agency, freedom and intra-household power)
Equality of opportunity allows women to make the choices that are best for them,
their families and their communities
IASbabas Views:
The message in the verdict not only allows Richa Mishra to get her posting but also
acts as an advisory to all the Departments of States at all levels, to Ministries, to Niti
Aayog and its State-level counterparts, as well as to research and policy forums
about the importance of women in the economy and the suitable roadmap that
needs to be sensitively absorbed and followed while taking decisions.
More promotion of the cause of inclusion needs to take place and however, the
progress must surely be celebrated but emphasizing the work still to be done to
ensure economic empowerment for all should form a key priority area.
Resulting from poor implementation of the laws, whether due to poor enforcement,
poor design, or low capacity, the laws speaking against the legal realities should be
done away with and, good mechanisms for implementing and adequate budgetary
commitments for enforcing laws should be strictly put in place.
Women are less likely to borrow from a financial institution, do you agree with the
statement? Give reasons.
Will establishing gender quotas to increase womens representation at the highest
levels of government and the private sector work? Discuss
Related Articles:
Women at Work: http://iasbaba.com/2016/01/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-14th-january2016/
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Constitution, Polity Fundamental Rights (FR)

Governance

Section 124A of the IPC defines sedition and says:
Whoever by words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representation

or otherwise brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, the government
established by law; or
Whoever by the above means excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the
government established by law, has committed the offence of sedition.
What the section tries to achieve?

There should be no attempt by any individual or sections, to excite hatred or contempt or
disaffection.
In other words, even if the impugned speech or article or cartoon seeks to obtain the
alteration of the wrong governmental decisions, if they excite hatred, contempt or
disaffection towards the government, the author of the speech and others are liable to be
charged with sedition and punished.
Infringement of rights under Article 19:
1. Article 19(1)(a) guarantees freedom of speech and expression to all the citizens.
2. However, Article 19(2) talks about reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech
and expression, in interests of public order.
3. Article 19(2) has been used by the governments to suppress constructive criticisms
by the public, on faulty and wrong governmental decisions.
What is Supreme Courts view on sedition?
Indian Supreme Court has developed a rich and robust jurisprudence of free speech and,
with a few exceptions, has generally ruled in favour of free speech against repressive
measures.
The Constitution bench of the Supreme Court explained the amplitude of sedition in
1962 in the case of Kedarnath Vs. State of Bihar (1962)
The court adopted the view that, a person can be charged with sedition only if
there is incitement to violence in his speech or writing or an intention to
create disorder
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Failed to establish any rational test on how to determine when speech in

disaffection of the government could be construed as causing a disruption of
public order
The famous Shreya Singhal Judgement that held Section 66A of the Information
Technology Act to be in violation of Article 19(1)(a) bears a testimony to the above
mentioned statement
Struck down the provision on grounds of it being vague and having overreach
Recognised chilling effects as one of the ways in which it violated Article
19(1)(a)
Recognised in the Khushboo judgment (2010), in which the court said, If the
complainants vehemently disagreed with the appellants views, then they
should have contested her views through the news media or any other public
platform. The law should not be used in a manner that has chilling effects on
the freedom of speech and expression.
The move that led to the arrest of the President of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
Students Union, on complaints of sedition
Presents with vivid clarity the governments pointed efforts at quelling any and every
form of dissent
The invocation of Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, provides a stark
reminder of the sheer depravity of some of our antiquated, colonial-era laws
Jurisprudence of free speech in IndiaDiffering Opinions

Provides us with a platform to challenge unreasonable acts of the state
Strategies outlined to describe a mode of using the law for the most illegal purposes
by the most lawless groups
o The Slapp suits (strategic legal action against public participation),
o Kicks (criminal intimidatory coercive knockout strategies)
Question of repealing or striking down on the grounds that they violate Article 19(1)(a)
Most of these laws have, in fact, been challenged and their constitutional validity has
already been upheld
Section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of
any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) was found to be constitutional in
the Ramjilal Modi case (1957)
Section 124A (sedition) was held to be constitutional in the Kedarnath case (1962)
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Against Section 124A of the IPC
Sedition defined under Section 124A of the IPC is a colonial law meant to suppress the
voice of Indian people. However the irony is the law enforcement agencies have always
used it against artists, public men, intellectuals for criticising the governments.
The Supreme Court, being the protector of the fundamental rights of the citizens may
step in now and declare Section 124A unconstitutional. The draconian aspect is apparent
in its wordings, and the purpose that it unequivocally seeks to achieve: a suppression of
all kinds of opposition.
Historical usage of the clause
Bal GangadharTilak
Mahatma Gandhi in 1922
Mahatma GandhiSection 124-A under, which I am happily charged, is perhaps the prince
among the political sections of the IPC designed to suppress the liberty of the citizen
To protect free speech
Need to focus on procedural reforms and safeguards (rendering the malicious use of these
laws more difficult)
All speech-related offences should be made bailable offences To lessen the harmful
impact of using arrest and custody as a way of harassing anyone exercising their rights
under Article 19(1)(a))
The offences should be made non-cognisable A judicial check on the police acting on
the basis of politically motivated complaints be maintained
Case of offences under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on
grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts
prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295A of the Indian Penal Code, it is
mandatory under Section 196(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure to obtain prior
sanction of the government before taking cognisance of the offences. This needs to be
extended to the offence of sedition under Section 124A
The Gujarat High Court in a 1980 decision (Shalibhadra Shah) observed that the reason
that prior sanction is needed is because in many cases
the very filing of a prosecution after tempers have cooled down may generate class
feelings which could well be avoided by the government by refusing to accord
sanction
that the article complained of pertains to a matter falling within the area of social
reform and attacks certain dogmas in a general way without intending to outrage
religious feelings
The case of hate speech Important to raise the burden of proof on those who claim
that their sentiments are hurt rather than accept them at face value
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Strict Action to be taken against those who bring malicious complaints against speech
acts
Discuss section 124A of the IPC, with reference to its alleged violation of article 19 of
the Indian constitution.
Critically evaluate the statement Freedom of speech and expression is not absolute
in India.
TOPIC:
General studies 1:
Effects of Globalization on Indian Society; Urbanization and related issues
General studies 2:
Important aspects of governance and e-governance

Issues regarding services relating to Health, Education, Human Resource.
Urbanization: Cities at crossroads- Why cities matter?

Background:
The first recognition of the importance of urbanisation, after years of neglect by

both the Centre and the states, came in 2005 when the government of India
launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in
December 2005.
Public service delivery improved only in cities where state governments provided an
enabling environment for innovation and better governance.
What is urbanisation?
The process of society's transformation from predominantly rural to predominantly urban
population through migration from rural areas is known as urbanisation.
It mainly includes two things:
An increase in the number of people living in urban settlements

An increase in the Percentage of population engaged in non-agricultural activities.
What are the reasons behind migration?
Better infrastructure
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Better employment opportunity

Education
Better Health care facilities etc...
What are the problems of Urbanisation?
Over crowding
Decrease in standard of living in urban areas
Housing Problem
Slums and squatter settlements
Sewage problems
Urban crimes
Problems of Urban pollution etc..
Why cities matter?
After having grown at close to 4 per cent per annum during the Eleventh Plan period
(2007-08 to 2011-12), agricultural growth in India has slowed down to less than 2 per
cent in more recent years.
Indian agriculture should grow at 4 to 4.5 per cent per annum and we need to make
large investments in research and development, soil and water management and
agricultural extension. But rapid growth of GDP will have to be driven by nonagricultural sectors.
As too many people dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods, productivity of
labour is low in Indian agriculture as farmers engage in labour-intensive farming. This
limits their potential to earn a higher income
If we aspire for GDP growth of 8 to 10 per cent per annum, which is necessary to
improve economic conditions in India and remove/ reduce poverty within a short
period, this can only be driven by industry and services sectors, which can grow
much faster than agriculture
Faster growth of industry and services leads to a decline in the share of agriculture in
both GDP and employment. This is called structural transformation and should be
welcomed.
Cities play an important role in developing industries and services. By generating
economies of agglomeration and by acting as centres of knowledge and innovation,
they make investments in industry and services more productive.
As it is difficult for the existing rural population to earn a decent living in rural areas,
they migrate to the cities.
To absorb the exodus of people from rural to urban areas, we need to fix our cities.
We need to provide employment, skills and opportunity for people to engage in
industry and services sectors.
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What are the recent initiatives launched to improvise cities?

A number of new initiatives have been launched by the government of India in the last two
years, raising the level of ambition of Indian cities smart cities, clean cities (Swachh
Bharat), rejuvenated cities (Amrut), and housing for all.
Smart cities:
A smart city is defined as the ability to integrate multiple technological solutions in a

secure fashion to manage the citys assets the citys assets include, but not limited
to, local departments information systems, schools, libraries, transportation
systems, hospitals, power plants, law enforcement, and other community services.
A smart city uses information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance
quality, performance and interactivity of urban services, to reduce costs and
resource consumption and to improve contact between citizens and government.
Basic infrastructure: Assured water and electricity supply, sanitation and solid waste
management, efficient urban mobility and public transport, robust IT connectivity, egovernance and citizen participation, safety and security of citizens
Smart solutions: Public information, grievance redressal, electronic service delivery,
citizens engagement, waste to energy & fuel, waste to compost, 100% treatment of
waste water, smart meters & management, monitoring water quality, renewable
source of energy, efficient energy and green building, smart parking, intelligent
traffic management system.
How it will work : After government announces the guidelines, states will be asked
to nominate names of cities for a City Challenge Competition and the chosen ones
will get Central fund of Rs 100 crore each year for 5 years.
Amrut: Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
Amrut with the focus of the urban renewal projects is to establish infrastructure that
could ensure adequate robust sewerage networks and water supply for urban
transformation
Rajasthan was the first state in the country to submit State Annual Action Plan under
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
The scheme is dependent with public private partnership model(PPP) model.
If required, various other schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission, Housing for All 2022,
along with the local state schemes like that related to water supply and sewerage
and other infrastructure related schemes can be linked to AMRUT.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan:
This campaign aims to accomplish the vision of a 'Clean India' by 2 October 2019, the
150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi
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Elimination of open defecation

Conversion of unsanitary toilets to pour flush toilets (a type of pit latrine, usually
connected to two pits)
Eradication of manual scavenging and 100% collection and
processing/disposal/reuse/recycling of municipal solid waste
A behavioural change in people regarding healthy sanitation practices
Generation of awareness among citizens about sanitation and its linkages with public
health
Supporting urban local bodies in designing, executing and operating waste disposal
systems
Facilitating private-sector participation in capital expenditure and operation and
maintenance costs for sanitary facilities.
Way ahead:
Key issue is whether our cities will be empowered with finances and capacity by the
state governments and helped by the government of India. Without this, private
funds will not come forth to supplement the limited funds of the government and
the hope of public-private partnership will not materialise.
There must, of course, be elected local governments as the Constitution mandates,
but there must also be greater autonomy to the elected urban local governments in
the running of city affairs. Unless this is done, our cities will not be able to improve
the quality of life of their citizens and also play their role as engines of rapid growth.
Can smart cities bridge digital divide and earn dividends to make India truly digital?
Do we need Smart village project along with Smart cities project for balanced
growth of rural and urban areas and to reduce ill effects of urbanization? Comment.
Related Articles:
Disaster Management, Urbanization Issues and Governance The Chennai Disaster:
http://iasbaba.com/2015/12/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-9th-december-2015/
Solid Waste Management: Waste not, want not:
http://iasbaba.com/2015/11/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-7th-9th-november-2015/
City infrastructure: With a multifaceted approach we can afford the Housing for
All dream
http://iasbaba.com/2015/11/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-28th-november-2015/
www.IASbaba.com
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TOPIC: General studies 2

Welfare schemes for the vulnerable sections of population by Centre and state,
Performance of schemes, laws, Institutions and bodies constituted for the
protection and betterment of vulnerable section.
Dalits and social justice: then and now
Background:
The Dalit mobilisation that is gaining momentum in the wake of Rohith Vemulas
suicide reflects structural issues in the system.
Certainly, reservations have given birth to Dalit entrepreneurs and a Dalit middle
class benefiting from government jobs. But in spite of this, or because of this, antiDalit attitudes have been on the rise.
Discrimination against Dalits is rising despite stronger laws. Attitudes of police,
judiciary must change
What do statistics say?
The number of registered cases of anti-Dalit atrocities, notoriously under-reported,

jumped by 17.1 per cent in 2013 (compared to 2012) according to the National
Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The increase was even more dramatic between 2013 and 2014 19.4 per cent.
What are the offences and atrocities mentioned under the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (the PoA act), ?
if a person forces a Dalit or an Adivasi to drink or eat any inedible or obnoxious

substance,
If a person forcibly removes clothes from the person of a member of a Scheduled
Caste or a Scheduled Tribe or parades him naked or with painted face or body,
If a person dispossesses Dalit from his land
If a person compels him to do bonded labour
If a person exploits Dalit women sexually
If a person corrupts or fouls the water he or she is using
If a person denies him or her right of passage to a place of public resort
If a person forces him or her to leave his house, village or other place of residence.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (the PoA act)
The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 an Act of the
Parliament of India enacted to prevent atrocities against scheduled castes and
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scheduled tribes. The Act is popularly known as POA, the SC/ST Act, the Prevention
of Atrocities Act, or simply the Atrocities Act.
Objective of the act states that the intention of the Indian state to deliver justice to
SC/ST communities through affirmative action in order to enable them to live in
society with dignity and self-esteem and without fear, violence or suppression from
the dominant castes.
The provisions of SC/ST Act and Rules can be divided into three different categories,
covering a variety of issues related to atrocities against SC/ST people and their
position in society.
The first category contains provisions of criminal law. It establishes criminal liability
for a number of specifically defined atrocities, and extends the scope of certain
categories of penalizations given in the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The second category contains provisions for relief and compensation for victims of
atrocities.
The third category contains provisions that establish special authorities for the
implementation and monitoring of the Act.
Provision in the Constitution:
Article 17 abolishes untouchability

Article 23 prohibits bonded labour
Article 15(2) stipulates that no citizen should be subject to restriction with regard to
access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of entertainment, the use of
wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort on the grounds of caste.
Recently Indian Parliament made the existing legislation even more sophisticated:
This law provides stringent action against those who sexually assault Dalits and
Adivasis and occupy their land illegally;
It also declares as an offence garlanding with footwear a man or a statue, compelling
to dispose or carry human or animal carcasses or do manual scavenging.
What are the hindrances for effective implementation of POA act?
In spite of the fact that the PoA Act has introduced special courts for speedy trials,
the conviction rate under this act has remained very low and has declined even
from 30 per cent in 2011 to 22.8 per cent in 2013 (more recent data are not
available). And the percentage of pending cases has increased from 80 to 84 per
cent.
To have a case registered under the PoA Act is in itself a problem. On average, only
one-third of the cases of atrocities are registered under the PoA Act. The police is
reluctant to do so because of the severity of the penalties likely to be imposed by the
act.
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Many Dalits do not know their rights anyway and cannot fight a legal battle that is
costly in terms of time and money.
What was the picture depicted in 2011 census explaining their vulnerability?
Out of the 4,42,26,917 Dalit households in India, 74 per cent live in rural areas,
where the per-household land area they own on an average is less than 0.3 ha
most of them are landless.
And only 34 per cent of them have toilets in their premises. More than 50 per cent
Dalit households use firewood as their main fuel for cooking.
On positive side the literacy rate among Dalits is rising and in 2011, their literacy rate
crossed the 66 per cent landmark (8 percentage points below the non-SC/STs). But
they often face frustrating experiences of discrimination once they join Universities
for higher education.
Way ahead:
Discrimination against Dalits is rising despite stronger laws. Thus effective

implementation in parallel with change in attitudes of police, judiciary will go long
way in protecting them.
Creating awareness regarding the rights, provisions and remedy available to dalits.
Free legal aid for the needy and speedy trial is the need of the hour because social
justice is not just means to an end but its end in itself.
Justice delayed is Justice denied for the dalits can be changed with free legal aid and
speedy trial to provide social justice. Comment?

Indian Culture: Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from Ancient to Modern
times
Is death of Sanskrit nearing?
Sanskrit
One of the languages of the Eighth Schedule

Official language of Uttarakhand
Census: Sanskrit as a mother-tongue
1971: 2,212
1981: 6,106
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1991: 49,736
2001: 14,135 (Half: In Uttar Pradesh)
But where did the rest 35,000 Sanskrit speakers go?

Exaggeration in terms of Sanskrits death
Extinction Languages can become extinct
when there are no surviving speakers

Globalisation tugging the cultures heart
Shifts in languages
35,000 disappearances statistically wrong, so as to mention, as

Data can be achieved w.r.t. Sanskrit-speaking abilities of Indians not from mother-tongue
but by the box mentioned as other languages known. But a fallacy exists stating that one
can only list a maximum of two languages (highly unsatisfactory)
Sanskrits worth
The manuscript detailing Kautilyas Arthshastra was re-discovered by R. Shamasastry in
1904. Had he would it have known Sanskrit, the Arthashastra would not have been
translated into English in 1915
Manuscript A text more than seventy-five years old
NAMAMI:
In 2003, a National Mission for Manuscripts was set up to
List
Digitise
Publish
Translate
Currently, NAMAMI has listing/digitisation of- 3 million and 35 million estimated stock of
manuscripts
Other issues with Sanskrit
95% of the existing manuscripts have never been listed, collated or translated
Lack of learned people in Sanskrit who can actually translate the written word
Knowledge transmitted in the Sanskrit language was also rarely in a written format and
with the collapse of the Gurukul systems and the gurushishya tradition, the knowledge
of Sanskrit has been lost as well
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IASbabas Views:
There can be no reason to regard Sanskrit as a dead language as more than 95% of the
texts still remain un-deciphered. And therefore, more awareness needs to be generated
by encouraging and energising the language and by bringing the language into the
mainstream.
The language can be introducing in the school curriculum as well as constant monitoring
of the usage and spread of language with formulation of more journals as well as various
competitions can lead to its revitalisation in real senses.
Can there exist a trade-off between languages? Substantiate your answer by

including your perspective w.r.t. languages
To what degree is culture of a particular place related with languages? Discuss.
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
issues arising out of their design and implementation
Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating
to Health, Education, Human Resources
General studies 3:
Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Biotechnology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights
Pharmaceutical Sector: Indias Drug Policy
Amidst all the chaotic versions of reality that the Indian Pharmaceutical Sector exhibits, the
Supreme Courts description of Indias drug pricing policyirrational and unreasonableis
unfortunately accurate from several angles.
Two contradictory developments over the past few days:
Stents becoming a component of the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) (a

small mesh tube used to treat narrow or weak arteries)
Lifting up of Customs Duty exemptions on a number of drugs
The developments portrays the juggling act of government to achieve the twin
objectives
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Of enabling broad access to reasonably priced medicines and

Allowing the marketplace to function well enough for pharmaceutical companies to
invest in innovation
The chequered history of drug price control in India

The Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) was introduced in 1995- Covered 74 bulk drugs and
their formulations; from which half the products were discontinued after their producers
exited
DPCO 2013
With no new investment, the shift has been favoured more towards non-controlled
products
IMS Health: The average number of incumbent brands and new introductions of
drugs in the DPCO 2013 list has reduced compared to the non-DPCO 2013 list;
strengthening oligopolistic behaviour and reducing the choice set of doctors and
patients
State inefficiencies: The cost of the drugs in the NLEMwhich feeds the DPCO
remain above the maximum retail prices offered in some states (retail price margin
goes as high as 4,000%), defeating the avowed purpose of access and cheap
availability
Should we abandon Regulation?

No
Leaving it to the market would create efficiency but it will be the pharmaceutical
companies that would benefit more
Existing inelastic demand
High barriers to entry
The multi-pronged Approach

Need to overhaul Indias intellectual property rights (IPR) regime
Courts have done well to clamp down on the practice of ever-greening patents and
protecting the countrys vital generic drug industry
Impediments to legitimate patents have had high costs Long development cycles & multiple research dead-ends leading to high raise in
costs and delay pay-offs
IndiaSpend (a data journalism initiative) Report- On average, a patent application
takes six years to get approval in India
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Expanding insurance coverageRand Corporation Study-Regulating Drug Prices: Shows that financing consumer price
reductions via insurance has several long-term benefits over imposing price controls
India
One of the least penetrated insurance markets in the world; with approximately only
17% of the population having any health insurance coverage, as per the Insurance
Regulatory and Development Authority
The 49% raise of the foreign direct investment cap in the insurance sector might
introduce benefits
Time to look forward to

A. Bulk Drug Policy
To: Reduce Indias dependence on China; India gets more than 75% of its bulk drugs
from China
Bulk drugs/Active pharmaceutical ingredients: The active raw materials used in a
drug
Highlights
Boost for public sector enterprises,
Tax-free status for manufacturers and
Cluster development
B. A new Ministry- For pharmaceuticals and medical devices

To be brought under the new Ministry
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority:
Sets the price limit on essential medicines
Under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization and the Drug Controller General
of India (governed by the health ministry)which exercise regulatory control over
import of drugs,
approval of new drugs and
clinical trials
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C. Marketing code
A mandatory code is set to replace the voluntary Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical
Marketing Practices- To prohibit the practice of drug makers offering gifts to doctors
in return for prescribing their products
D. Online Pharmacies
Regulation of the booming business of online pharmacies
E. Cap on Trade Margins
Total business in these drugs, known as trade generics, is pegged at Rs.5, 000-6,000
crore, or 5-6% of Indias total pharma market
What happens in trade genericsthe distributors appoint medical representatives
to market products to doctors in rural areas, in addition to supplying to retailers
What are the major constraints looming over the advancement of the Indian Pharma
Sector? Suggest some measures.
Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments,

significant provisions and basic structure.
The Jats demonstrations for their inclusion on the list of the OBC castes in Haryana
are echoing others including the Patels agitation, which resulted in reportedly 10
deaths in August last year, a toll similar to the present one in Haryana where 16
people have died so far.
The Gujjars in Rajasthan, the Kapus in Andhra Pradesh as well as the Marathas in
Maharashtra are similarly mobilised.
Dominant castes demand backward tag:
One common thing among the above stated castes is that they all demand their
caste inclusion under the list of backward castes.
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The above castes, contrary to their demand, represent some of the dominant castes
present in India.
M.N. Srinivas, the pioneer of Indian anthropology in the 1950s, defined the
dominant castes as those that are demographically important and own a lot of land.
The Jats, Marathas and Patels are certainly dominant, but their mobilisation tells us
something about structural problems in the Indian economy.
Unfavourable agricultural conditions:
The above mentioned dominant castes do not see their future in agriculture because
of the attraction exerted by the city and because of the crisis in village India.
The 2014-15 Economic Survey showed that the wages of rural India were increasing
at 3.6 per cent only (when the inflation rate was above 5 per cent), against 20 per
cent in 2011.
Those who had land next to big cities could sell it to developers and even became
rentiers sometimes.
But most of the migrants who left their village to try their luck in the city are
disappointed by the job market.
In contrast to the middle class inhabiting urban centres for generations, they have
not received the kind of English-medium education that gives access to the services,
the sector (especially in IT) offering opportunities.
While they have sometimes run heavy debts to get some private, not-so-good
education, they have to fall back on unskilled jobs.
Private jobs earn less:
Private jobs are uncertain and badly paid.
In the private sector, the average daily earnings of the workers was Rs 249 in 201112, according to the Labour Bureau, and those of the employees at large, Rs 388.
By contrast, in the public sector, the figures were respectively almost three times
more at Rs 679 and Rs 945.
Recently, the Seventh Pay Commission recommended an increase of the minimum
monthly salary from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000.
Need for a government job:
Understandably, the young Jats, Patels, Kapus and Marathas who do not find good
jobs in the private sector fall back on the government.
The search for government jobs among these castes is also influenced by their
particularly skewed sex ratio.
Parents of girls prefer grooms with stable income those with government jobs are
often their preferred choice.
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With fewer girls compared to boys in these castes, there is competition in the
marriage market.
Era of fewer government jobs:
There are fewer government jobs these days.

There were 19.5 million jobs in the public sector in 1992-93 when Indias
population was 839 million.
While there are 1.2 billion Indians now, the number of jobs in the public sector has
shrunk to 17.6 million.
In states that have aggressively implemented the liberalisation policy, government

jobs have almost disappeared.
For instance, the governments share in employment in Gujarat is only 1.18 per
cent whereas it is 16 per cent in Kerala.
Why governments are opposing reservation to such dominant castes?
The dominant castes want to be counted as Other Backward Classes (OBC) to benefit
from job reservation.
But governments are wary to accept to the demand since the decision may alienate
those already in the OBC list.
The existing OBC castes, no less politically influential, fear that the dominant castes
may corner the quotas if included in the list since the latter are richer and better
educated.
Moreover, the judiciary will probably not allow quotas to exceed the 49 per cent
limit imposed by the Supreme Court on reservation.
Way ahead:
Reservations are a way to positively discriminate different sections of the society to

ensure their development.
However this discrimination should not be solely on the basis of caste, as this might
affect the unity and integrity of the country which the constituent assembly dreamt
of.
Critically examine the reservation policy of India with special reference to the apex
court judgements.
Should caste based reservations be allowed in India? If no, what can be other
indicators for providing reservations in India. Substantiate.
Related Articles on Reservation:

http://iasbaba.com/2015/09/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-3rd-september-2015/
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TOPIC:
General Studies 1:
Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.

Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
General Studies 2:

Development processes and the development industry- the role of NGOs, SHGs,
various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other
stakeholders.

The recent events in New Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Patiala House
courts have deepened the state of tension, suspicion and discord that has afflicted the
country over the past several years.
The questions which arise?
At one level, the events bring to sharp focus the mindset of the present government,
the partisanship of university and law enforcement authorities, the shock from
lawbreakers, the nature of student politics, and the inflammatory role of some
television channels.
At another level, the events call upon us as citizens to reflect on our relationship
with the entity that we call India; to reflect on the nature of the feeling we have for
India, and indeed, what is the India that we have feelings for.
Every one of the above aspects demands serious debate, review and a new broad
consensus if we are to retain our hard-won and hard-preserved freedoms.
What does the JNU incident denote?
Anti-India slogans at JNU is a symptom of lack of a clear personal understanding of

our own feelings of love, patriotism, nationalism, civic responsibility and devotion.
Having not reflected on this, we fall for the seductive tunes of entrepreneurs of
emotion, who often use our feelings to promote their own political ambition.
The nature of democratic politics for ambitious politicians:
The nature of democratic politics for ambitious politicians is to use emotions to

climb up the ladder of power.
The problem is not manipulativeness or political ambition, it is the willingness with
which otherwise sensible citizens allow themselves to follow the Piper.
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These are times when outrage broadcasts from television studios merge with the
echo chambers of social media and break into violence on our streets.
The question of Liberalism vs. Nationalism:
If we go by much of the public debate playing out in the media, we are asked to
choose between liberalism and nationalism.
If we support the right of the JNU students to shout anti-India slogans, as long as
there is no violence, we are automatically seen as supporting their slogans and stand
for liberalism.
Similarly, if we support the Indian nation state, we are perforce deemed a right-wing
nationalist.
Further, ideologues will tell you that nationalists cannot be liberal, and liberals
cannot be nationalist. We have to choose one side.
The nature of Indian nationalism:
From its earliest origins, Indian nationalism has been liberal in nature.
The signature of the freedom movement was to expel the British, without hatred.
The setting up of a secular state with a liberal constitution, in the face of a violent
demand for and reaction to the creation of a Muslim Pakistan, is a remarkable
monument to that national sentiment.
This is consistent with Indias civilizational ethos and daily practice as well.
We are liberal to varying degrees. We are nationalistic and patriotic to varying
degrees.
Some may be more liberal, others might be more nationalistic, but most of us are
both.
Way ahead:
The way to manage these tensions is not to give up one for the other, as the left and
the right wing demand of us, but to insist on both.
Individual liberty is mere theory unless the state protects it and makes it real.
We have to understand that Nationalism without liberalism is a monster.
What do you understand by the terms liberalism and nationalism in Indian

civilization?
Nationalism without liberalism is a monster, critically examine the above
statement wrt recent JNU protests.
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TOPIC:
General Studies 2:

Issues relating to the development and management of Social sector/services
relating to Health, Education and Human Resources
Drug Pricing: Critical IllnessA Gold mine

Indias Drug Pricing Regime
1. Drugs Order (Display of Prices) 1962 froze medicine pricing
2. Hathi Committee Report (1975) led to the Drug Policy (1978) which:
Set up a National Drug Authority
Selective price control on medicines
3. The Drug Price Control Order (DPCO), 2013:
Brought 348 drugs into Indias National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2011,
with significant exclusions made for formulation and presentation
Pills becoming too expensive to swallow
Daraprim, a drug used to treat HIV patientsPrice was raised from $20 to $750
GlenmarkAbirapro (250mg; 120 tablet pack is Rs.39,990) and Evermil (10 mg; 10
tablet pack is Rs.29,965)
Glivec (anti-cancer drug) base price rose from Rs.8, 500 to over Rs.1 lakh per
month
Sovaldi (hepatitis C drug)$1,000 per pill
Cortisporin (ear infections) Price rose from $10 to $195
Heavily skewed against the poor
Out-of-pocket expenses can comprise up to 80 per cent of all health financing, with
70 per cent of health spending on outpatient treatment devoted primarily to
purchasing medicines
Access to affordable medicines remains a significant concern; Delhi, at best, offers
just 48.8 per cent availability
This spiralling cost of basic medical drugs has left little for daily life. For instance,
unskilled workers need to work an hour in India (its 10 minutes in the United
Kingdom) to afford basic paracetamol
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Existing loopholes
While 358 formulations of paracetamol are under price control, over 2,714 combinations
(80 per cent of market share) are not
Despite price controls, the Drug (Prices Control) Order, 2013 covers only 18 per cent of the
domestic market (55 per cent is excluded combinations of NLEM drugs), with little impact
Indias current drug pricing policies have tended to fix the maximum price of a medicine
above the retail price of the market volume leader (Marked by the SC)
While the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority struck down its notification on
ceiling prices for 50 non-scheduled medicines in 108 formulation/dosages, the public
interest in ensuring affordable access remains
Lack of competition and significant information asymmetry: Leading customers to buy the
priciest product to alleviate an immediate need
Arrangements drawing concern
Voluntary Licence agreementssigned between Gilead Science and 11 Indian generic

drug makers, and this has pushed pricing concerns about critical drugs to rise
Removal of customs duty exemption on the imports of ~70 drugs
Custom Duty of 35% on 15 life-saving drugs
Why: Indian companies are producing them already as generic medicines and almost
half of them already fall under Governments price control order
Need: Strengthen the taxation structure and boost domestic competition (to
increase domestic production-providing relief from the blow being faced due to
Chinese imports)
Impact: To be borne by the patients of Haemophilia (totally dependent upon a
medicine produced by an American pharmaceutical company (Find out about
Haemophilia)
Ensuring Affordability-Quality-Access
Price Controls the government needs to utilise price, volume and cost-effective controls
to mitigate health-care inflation
Canada: Patented Medicine Prices Review Board

Egypt: Has brought all medicines under price control
Lebanon: Has utilised regressive margin pricing and improved transparency by
publishing patient prices on its online Lebanon National Drug Index
Centralised Procurement Systemeffectively utilised by Tamil Nadufor purchasing drugs
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The government tenders for the antiparasitic Albendazole (400 mg) tablets has attracted
prices of 35 paisa per tablet; retail prices are quoted at Rs.12
Stop unethical and unfair drug selling practicesthat is used to influence doctors and key
bureaucrats
Need to revise the NLEM every 2-3 years: Price regulation should be necessarily based on
the therapy considered, instead of a focus on formulation
Need to re-consider the VAT abolishment on essential medicines
Creation of an accessible and affordable health-care system:
Offering scale, multi-generational permanence (multi-generational)

Supported by sustainable financing mechanisms to ensure affordability
Inclusion of debt financing with appropriate policy interventions like cheaper loans and
tax breaks on interest payments (to generate fund flow)
Easing the Reserve Bank of Indias rules on external commercial borrowings by healthcare projects: Will help access cheaper funds from a larger credit source; 20 per cent of
private equity funds are expected to be invested in health care
Web of Health Insurance: The governments push for low cost in-patient insurance,
while encouraging, should also incorporate out-patient expenses
Continue work on: Low-cost diagnostic capabilities, generic drug stores (Rajasthans
Life Line drug stores) and low-frills hospitals that provide affordable care (Vaatsalya)
IASbabas Views:
With India becoming a superpower in the field of generic drugs, a well-formulated policy
(bulk drug) is the need of the hour to create an enabling environment for the pharma
companies to build an ecosystem enabling them to go up the value chain while
maintaining the public health to be their top-most priority.
The Pharmacy to the World also is striving for immediate needs such as access to
capital, quality infrastructure, huge investment, efficient growth and qualified
manpower which can cut-across its element of having remained overpriced and
unaffordable largely. This sunshine industry requires innovative policymaking initiatives,
to trace its high potential for growth and remove the constraint of medical debt from
the back of many.
Connecting the Dots
Critically examine the need for setting up a separate ministry for pharma sector in India
Discuss the recommendations given by the V. M. Katoch Committee.
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Dispute redressal mechanisms

Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
News Ombudsman: Holding the newspaper to account

Background:
Newspapers continue to play an important role in society and politics.

In some respects they play an enhanced and widening role in this digital age, even as
they have come under disruptive pressure of varying degrees.
There is a new challenge newspapers face in many countries, including India, and
this is the increasingly heard political demand for regulation of the ways of an
allegedly irresponsible, wayward, and venal press.
It is in this stressful context that the institution of a news ombudsman becomes not
just a virtuous option but an existential necessity and even a priority for Indian
newspapers.
The Hindu is the first newspaper in the history of Indian journalism to appoint a
news ombudsman an independent, full-time, empowered professional, known as
the Readers Editor (RE), with a clearly defined daily role in the newspaper and
transparent terms of reference.
The inspiration had come from the exemplary practice and experience of The
Guardian , whose pioneering RE, Ian Mayes, had set the bar high.
Why there is demand for regulation?
The rise of social media its positive, corrective, and value-adding side as well as its
trolling, noisy, and truth-distorting side has increased in no small measure the
daily pressure the mainstream press and professional journalists face in the
increasingly contested space.
In this situation, protecting and revitalizing the core functions, standards, and values
of professional journalism has become absolutely vital to democracy, to the public
interest, and, of course, to the newspaper industrys own health.
What are the key roles for a news ombudsman?
Two central functions of serious, independent journalism have remained constant

the credible-informational and the critical-investigative-adversarial.
To improve the quality of news reporting by monitoring accuracy, fairness and
balance.
To help the news provider become more accessible and accountable to readers and,
thus, become more credible.
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To increase the awareness of news professionals about the publics concerns.

To save time for publishers and senior editors, or broadcasters and news directors,
by channeling complaints and other inquiries to one responsible individual.
To resolve some complaints that might otherwise be sent to attorneys and become
costly lawsuits
Why do we need news ombudsman or Readers Editor (RE)?
An institutionalized review mechanism in the form of a Readers Editor has a strong

bearing on the process.
It carries moral force, and the participants in the chain of editorial work do
incorporate stronger checks to eliminate errors.
What is the essence of news ombudsman or Readers Editor (RE) job?
News ombudsman represents a form of self-regulation, the only kind of selfregulation that has the effect of building trust between a specific news organization
and its readership or audience, through the systematic, impartial and public handling
of complaints, and through the open discussion of issues raised by readers
concerning the journalism.
RE oversees the process of publishing corrections and clarifications on a daily basis;
attends sympathetically to readers complaints and concerns that his or her office
receives.
RE also oversees various aspects of professional journalism and best practices, the
newspaper industry, the media and society, and ethical issues; and inquires into, and
recommends appropriate action on, specific cases of plagiarism, other ethical
transgressions, and inappropriate or unprofessional journalism that are referred to
him or her by the Editor.
The REs is a post-publication job; he or she rarely comes in pre-publication and even
then only when the matter is referred to him or her.
What are the Benefits of self-regulation through the work of REs job?
It constantly attempts to hold various institutions, actors, and ideologies to account,

regards itself as responsible and accountable to readers when it comes to living up to
the highest professional standards and to the editorial values it proclaims.
Here is a real institutional mechanism to correct serious mistakes and remedy
inappropriate journalistic practices whenever they arise.
This empowered office protects them from motivated attacks, especially from the
trolls in the social media.
This form of unilateral and quick-acting self-regulation which is not mandated by
law brings down both the incidence and the risk of litigation against the
newspaper by those who feel aggrieved or offended by something it has published.
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Way ahead:
The Hindu as an institution committed to the highest standards and values of

journalism remains firmly committed to continuing and strengthening the office of
its Readers Editor.
It takes pride in being the first Indian newspaper to have this office and make it
responsive to the needs of the time. However, it has mixed feelings about being the
only Indian newspaper to have an independent and regularly functioning news
ombudsman for the simple reason that this does not seem to reflect well on the
priorities of the Indian newspaper industry.
Newsgathering and news dissemination may appear to be mysterious and some

readers may suspect the process itself. Comment.
Throw light on the necessity of news ombudsman as an institution to maintain
professional journalism across the Indian newspaper industry?
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INTERNATIONAL
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
India and its neighborhood- relations.

Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or
affecting Indias interests.
Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on Indias
interests, Indian diaspora.
Negotiating with the Taliban

The recently concluded Doha Dialogue on Peace and Security in Afghanistan presents a
number of opportunities for the international community, as well as India, in dealing with
the resurgent Taliban phenomenon.
Why in news?
The official Quadrilateral Coordination Group on Afghan Peace and Reconciliation,

with participation from the governments of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, and the
U.S., has become a non-starter due to the non-participation of the Taliban in the
talks.
However recently the second round of the unofficial Doha Dialogue was organised
by the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Pugwash Conferences on Science and World
Affairs with support from the state of Qatar and the important to be noted is, it was
attended by key leaders from the Talibans Qatar office, the only one of its kind, set
up by the dominant Taliban faction of Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour.
Why the Doha process is significant at this point?

1. The Taliban leaderships preference, as articulated in Doha, for a negotiated
settlement in Afghanistan over continued bloodshed.
2. The Talibans willingness to negotiate a power-sharing agreement with the Afghan
government
3. For the first time since the Talibans fall in 2001, they have started clarifying the
contours of their vision for Afghanistan, though through a Track II process.
Why engage with the Taliban?
But why should we make peace with a violent outfit holding highly objectionable religious
and political views? Shouldnt our efforts be aimed at ensuring that the Taliban are
defeated, both militarily and ideologically?
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1. The most important reason for engaging with the Taliban is that not doing so is
indeed a worse option, and could prove to be suicidal for Afghanistan and its people.
With no less than 60,000 heavily armed men in their ranks, the Taliban are
reportedly in control of around 30 per cent of the countrys districts, with
their reach and control steadily on the rise.
There is a lot of concern today about the impending spring offensive by the
Taliban and what it would do to the Afghans.
2. Widespread electoral fraud during the 2014 presidential election in Afghanistan, and
US involvement in making an agreement between the two contenders on the
electoral outcome, has dented the legitimacy of the Afghan government.
With decreasing American military support, very little political legitimacy, and
sheer lack of military strength to run its writ over the country, the Afghan
administration will find itself in more trouble in the years ahead.
3. The Taliban leadership repeatedly hinted at possible power-sharing arrangements
with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani during the Doha deliberations.
Given its many weaknesses, Kabul would do well by engaging the Taliban in a
dialogue process.
Potential roadblocks ahead:

Taliban seem to be unwilling on a number of fundamental issues that could come up as
serious difficulties on the negotiating table.
The most important issue is that the Taliban, who refer to themselves as the
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, continue to be unwilling to submit
themselves to the Afghan Constitution and accept the term Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan written in its preamble.
Intent on creating an Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, they propose to
establish a state based on the Sharia law.
They are non-committal on the question of democracy, partly due to their
interpretation of Islam, and partly due to their fear whether the Afghan
people would accept them if they fought an open and transparent election
without the might of the gun.
India and Taliban:

India has had a frosty relationship with the Taliban due to a number of reasons like
1. The deep links between the Taliban and Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence and the
latters use of Afghan territory to train terrorists to fight in Kashmir.
2. The extremely objectionable policies followed by the Taliban regime until its fall in
2001.
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3. The highly unhelpful behaviour of the Taliban during the IC-814 hijack in 1999.
Way ahead:
Indias Afghan policy, ever since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, has been impressive
and imaginative.
However, it does fall short in meeting the countrys future objectives in Afghanistan
in the context of the emerging political realities there.
India should therefore make use of the reconciliation process in Afghanistan to
subtly engage all stakeholders there.
The Doha process and the message from the Taliban leadership based in the Qatari
capital should be taken seriously by India.
Critically examine the importance of stable Afghanistan for promoting peace and
stability in South Asian region.
Critically examine the importance of a stable Afghanistan in promoting economic
growth and development in India.
TOPIC:
General studies 2:

affecting India's interests.
Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's
Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
Seizing the One Belt, One Road opportunity

Recent conversations with Chinese scholars, Communist Party of China members and
officials indicate that the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative of Xi Jinpings government
in china is likely to become the pivotal key of Chinese engagement with the world.
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Why in news?
At the third edition of the India-China Think-Tank Dialogue in Beijing, hosted in

early January, a cross-section of Chinese scholars and officials discussed India-China
relations and prospects for regional cooperation.
Unlike at previous meets, this time the conversation was not on the usual tensions
in the bilateral relationship; instead, the centrepiece of all discussion was the
OBOR initiative.
A Chinese story:
Some facets of the new formulations that are giving shape to chinas vision for OBOR and
Asia could be explained as below
1. The first is the novel idea of entity diplomacy
This construction argues for engaging within and across regions to secure the
best interests of an entity that is necessarily larger and with interests
broader than those of any sovereign.
This follows from the argument of a revival of continentalism as the
Eurasian landmass deepens linkages and Asia emerges.
OBOR segues perfectly into this framework.
It becomes, for the Chinese, an Asian undertaking that needs to be evaluated
on the gains it accrues to the entity, i.e. Asia, as opposed to China alone.
It therefore follows, from Beijings perspective, that Indian and other Asian
nations must support and work for the OBOR initiative.
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2. Second is the establishment of one economic continent

OBOR , becomes a vehicle that promotes alignment of infrastructure, trade
and economic strategies.
Indeed, for some Chinese speakers, India is already part of the initiative, as
its own projects like Project Mausam and economic initiatives such as Make
in India and Digital India complement and complete OBOR.
Indian participation in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and joint
ownership of the New Development Bank only reaffirm Indias partnership in
this Asian project.
3. The third is that of a mutually beneficial swap
India protecting Chinese interests in the Indian Ocean, and China securing
Indias essential undertakings in their part of the waters, read the South and
East China Seas.
However, there was unambiguous clarity that if India cannot assume more
responsibility in the Indian Ocean, China will step in.
Core conflicts:
Structural challenges confront the Chinese formulations and the OBOR proposal
1. The perception, process and implementation to date do not inspire trust in OBOR as
a participatory and collaborative venture.
The unilateral ideation and declaration and the simultaneous lack of
transparency further weaken any sincerity towards an Asian entity and
economic unity.
The Chinese participants explained that china is committed to pursuing wideranging consultations with the 60-plus nations OBOR implicates;
an OBOR Think Tank is also being established to engage scholars from
these countries.
2. The second challenge deals with the success of the whole scheme, given that the
Chinese vision document lays out five layers of connectivity: policy, physical,
economic, financial and human.
While no developing country will turn away infrastructure development
opportunities financed by the Chinese, they may not necessarily welcome a
rules regime built on a Chinese ethos.
3. Finally, how can this initiative navigate the irreconcilable geometries of South Asia
that prevent India from providing full backing to OBOR?
A formal nod to the project will serve as a de-facto legitimisation to
Pakistans rights on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan under
the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that is closely related to
OBOR.
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Options for India:

Fundamentally, India needs to resolve for itself whether OBOR represents a threat or an
opportunity.
The answer undoubtedly ticks both boxes.
Chinese political expansion and economic ambitions, packaged as OBOR, are two
sides of the same coin.
To be firm while responding to one facet, while making use of the opportunities
that become available from the other, will largely depend on the institutional
agency and strategic imagination India is able to bring to the table.
As soon as possible India should come up with a decision regarding OBOR, as whether to
support it or not.
Explain the concept of one belt one road initiative of china and its impact on the
growth and security of South Asian continent.
India today seems to be sceptical about one belt one road (OBOR) initiative of china.
Explain the reasons for the same and what should be the future course of action by
India towards OBOR initiative.
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
Defending the diaspora
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Many people involved in the massive evacuation of Indian expatriates from Kuwait in 1990
are disappointed at the mischaracterisation of the role of the politicians, diplomats and
airline officials in Airlift , a new Hindi film based on that incident.
Why in news?
In airlift, a new Hindi film based on the 1990 Kuwait incident, the film makers have
dramatized the scenes to set fiction against facts.
Diplomats are rightly upset that the story of the biggest ever air evacuation in
history, carried out by a resource-strapped government in the throes of political
and economic crises, has deliberately painted Foreign Service officers in negative
light.
It is unfair and self-defeating to cast them in poor light:
Whatever people might think of the Indian government, when it comes to expatriate
citizens in conflict zones, our diplomats go to great extents to ensure their safety.
The airlift from Kuwait is only the biggest and the most famous one more recently
Indian diplomats and armed forces coordinated mass evacuations from Lebanon (in
2006), Libya (2011) and Yemen (2015).
This is a job our diplomats, armed forces and airline officials do well, and it is unfair
and self-defeating to cast them in poor light.
Indians around the world:
According to government figures, as of January 2015, there were 11 million NonResident Indians (NRIs) and 17 million Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) around the
world.
The largest populations were in the Gulf, the United States, United Kingdom,
Southeast Asia and Nepal.
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On the thin end, there were seven Indians in North Korea, two in Nauru and one in
Micronesia.
Governments relationship with overseas Indians:
The governments relationship with overseas Indians has been twofold.

Indian citizens (NRIs) were treated differently from ethnic Indians holding other
citizenships.
While the government concerned itself with the former, the latter were encouraged
to be loyal and upstanding citizens of their respective countries.
This policy has served India and overseas Indians well.
If the Indian diaspora is highly successful and integrated into the societies around
the world, it is in part due to the fact that the loyalties of persons of Indian origin are
beyond doubt.
They might retain Indian customs and faith, but they bat for the interests of the
country they are citizens of.
Courting the diaspora:
The longstanding policy began to shift in the 1990s, with India looking East and West
initially due to economic adversity and subsequently due to opportunity.
The Atal Bihari Vajpayee government put the courtship on a formal footing with a
high-level committee recommending the long-term visas under a PIO Card Scheme, a
grand conference and recognition in the form of awards.
The United Progressive Alliance government constituted an entire ministry for
overseas Indians which, wisely, the present government has recently decided to
merge back into the MEA.
Works by the present government:
No Prime Minister has gone so far out to court overseas Indians as the present one.
Reaching out to the humble construction worker, the middle-class professional and
the wealthy elite has galvanised the emotional links NRIs have with their home
country.
The prime minister has reinforced the growing feeling among NRIs since the turn of
the century that India is a great country to be from.
Airlifts of the future:
The airlifts and naval evacuations of the future might be more complex in a context
where there is a conflation of NRIs, PIO card-holders and other ethnic Indians with
foreign citizenships.
During crises when time and resources are tight, who should Indian diplomats
prioritise?
Will they have moral grounds to put non-citizens on a lower priority than citizens?
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If they do, what impact will it have on the Indian governments reputation and the
expectations it has created?
Need of the hour:
The external intelligence establishment needs to be reoriented towards gathering

and analysing information relating to the threats that diaspora populations might
face.
The conceptual move from defending the homeland to defending the diaspora needs
a concomitant retooling of government machinery.
Way ahead:
Diaspora security will require more naval ships, wider patrolling, foreign berthing
and outposts.
Military heavy lifting capacity apart, it will also require policy measures, like for
instance, licence conditions in civil aviation requiring private airlines to put their
aircraft and crew at the governments disposal during emergencies.
The commitments that India makes require the state to have the capacity to redeem
them.
If we widen the scope of our commitments, we must invest in the capacity to carry
out the airlifts of the future.
Critically examine the role played by Indian diaspora to promote socio economic
growth within India.
Explain measures taken by Indian government to attract Indian diaspora towards
promoting the growth and development of the country.
TOPIC:
General studies 1:
Effects of globalization on Indian society.
General studies 2:
Zika Virus Public Health Emergency
Terror of Aedes continues:
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Zika virus disease is an emerging viral disease transmitted through the bite of an
infected Aedes mosquito and also transmitted via sexual contact. Therefore,
AEDES= Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya, Yellow Fever and West Nile disease
1st identified: Uganda, 1947; was first isolated from Rhesus monkeys in Zika forest near Lake
Victoria in Uganda (monitoring network of sylvatic yellow fever)
Locate it
Horrifying effect on pregnant women:
Babies born with birth defects- Microcephaly a shrunken head, an under-developed

brain and disorders of the central nervous system.
Zika found in: Amniotic fluid of foetuses, indicating it can cross the placenta barrier and
get to foetuses in the womb
Associated Syndromes:
Microcephaly in the new-born and

Other neurological syndromes like Guillain BarreSyndrome- a condition in which the
immune system attacks the nervous system, sometimes resulting in paralysis
A majority of those infected with Zika virus disease either remain asymptomatic
(upto 80%) or show mild symptoms of fever, rash, conjunctivitis, body ache, joint
pains.
Should be suspected in patients reporting:
Acute onset offever,

Maculo-papular rash and
Arthralgia
War against Zika and dengue

Major constraint: The vectors resistance to widely used insecticides such as
organophosphates and pyrethroids
Can insecticide-treated bed nets help
Of little use in keeping the Aedes mosquito species, which are aggressive daytime
biters, at bay
Urbanisation- Aedesaegypti mosquitoes, found in tropical and sub-tropical
countries, breeds in diverse water-bodies and even indoors
Two new approaches for mosquito eradication

1. Genetic modification leading to premature death
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2. Introduction of a lethal bacterial strain

Usage of genetically modified male Aedesaegypti mosquitoes that carry a dominant lethal
gene
As male mosquitoes do not bite humans, the release of genetically modified males will not
increase the risk of dengue
Advantage of using this technique: Its species-specificity
Mutant Aedesaegypti released into the wild will not breed with another species of
Aedes
Short-term suppression of Aedesaegypti population will not lead to abundance of
Aedesalbopictus (Asian tiger mosquito)
ButTo be effective, genetically altered male mosquitoes need to be released in large

quantities at regular intervals so they compete with the wild normal male insects for mating
IASbabas Views:
Component of Project Mitigation should include

Eradication of the Aedesaegypti
Developing diagnostics tests, vaccines and cures
There is a need for an integrated pest management programme that can help reduce
the mosquito population and sustain the gains
Also, WHO should set up surveillance centres in different countries to study the possible
linkages between microcephaly and Zika as well as accelerate the approvals process and
encourage research on an urgent basis (redoubling efforts)
International airports should be instructed to put up signs asking incoming passengers to
report conditions like fever, body rash, joint pains and conjunctivitis - the usual
symptoms of Zika infection
Two possible solutions
Lifting the ban on dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane or DDT, the most powerful and
effective pesticide against mosquitoes
Usage of the recently evolved genetically modified mosquito that can inhibit the
growth of its own species; carries a lethal gene which causes its offspring to die
before being able to bite human beings
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TOPIC:
General studies 2:
Palestines deepening occupation
Israel being criticised by a serving

American diplomat for its
treatment of Palestinians is not
very common as usually, American
leaders and diplomats defend
Israels right to fight terror.
Why in news?
On January 18, 2016, U.S. ambassador to Israel, said that at times it seems Israel
employs two standards of law in the occupied West Bank, one for Israelis and the
other for Palestinians.
On the same day, the European Union (EU) foreign affairs council unanimously
adopted a resolution, stating that EU agreements with Israel applied only to the
State of Israel within the pre-1967 border, not to Jewish settlements in the
Palestinian territories.
A week later, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon joined them. He said
the continued settlement activity in the West Bank was an affront to the Palestinian
people and to the international community.
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The spark:
The above criticisms, even from unlikely quarters, demonstrate the growing levels of
frustration in the international community with the freeze in the peace process and
the way Israel is treating Palestinians.
A new wave of violence has been sweeping through the occupied territories for
months. Since last October, at least 25 Israelis and more than 150 Palestinians were
killed in attacks, counter-attacks and clashes with security forces.
Israels response to this crisis:
Israels response to this crisis has been typical security crackdown and provocation.
It blames the Palestinian leadership for inciting violence.
The security forces shoot dead the Palestinian attackers, mostly teenaged boys and
girls.
The attackers family members are punished and houses demolished.
The Israeli government has also deployed more troops in Jerusalem and checkpoints
in the West Bank, invited even civilians to volunteer with firearms and further
restricted the movement of Palestinians.
At the same time, Israel decided to go ahead with an earlier decision to expand the
settlements in the West Bank and seize more Palestinian land, in an apparent
provocation.
Growing frustration:
Ever since Israel has occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, Jewish settlements in the city
have mushroomed while Palestinians have been forced to live in their historical
neighbourhoods.
In East Jerusalem where Palestinians predominantly reside, Israel has set aside 52
per cent of land as unavailable for development and 35 per cent for Jewish
settlements.
The Palestinian population in the city, over 300,000, was left with only 13 per cent.
About 75.3 per cent of the citys residents and 82.2 per cent of children lived below
the poverty line in 2012.
Peace is the need of the hour:
The Israeli government says there wont be peace as long as violence continues.
But from the Palestinian perspective, whatever concessions they have got from
Israel, came only through uprisings.
Unsurprisingly, most Palestinians support armed uprisings.

According to a survey conducted in Gaza and the West Bank in December by the
Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 66 per cent of Palestinians believe
an armed intifada would serve their national interests better than negotiations.
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Only less than half of the respondents support the two-state solution.
This is an alarming scenario, which needs international intervention.
Critically examine the reasons for the continued Israel Palestine conflict for nearly
five decades.
Is Israel a natural friend of India? Comment
What should be Indias response towards Israel Palestine conflict? Substantiate
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
India and its neighbourhood- relations

Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements including India/ or
affecting India's interest
General studies 3:
Security challenges and their management in border areas, linkage of organised
crime with terrorism
Indian Navy: Centrality of Indian Ocean for Indias prosperity and security
Background:
Recent International Indian navys second international fleet review was conducted
at Visakhapatnam.
The scale and scope of the fleet review served to demonstrate Indias new
prominence in the waters of the eastern hemisphere and also the centrality of Indian
Ocean for Indias prosperity and security.
Importance of Indian Ocean:

History has taught India two bitter lessons: firstly, that neglect of maritime power led to loss
of sovereignty, and secondly, that it takes many decades to restore maritime power after a
period of neglect and decline.
India's Maritime Interests:
Strategic Location and resultant need for a strong navy:
A long coastline studded with deep-water ports

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Well endowed EEZ

A rich hinterland and island territories on both seaboards.
On Economic front:
Indias interests have become truly global. More than 40 per cent of its current GDP
is linked to international trade. And most of this trade is sea-borne.
Our dependence on the sea for food, energy and minerals will grow exponentially in
the coming years and this will necessitate a quantum increase in efforts to ensure
the security of our maritime assets.
Choke Points:
Hemmed in by the landmass of Asia to its north, Africa to its west and South East
Asia and Australia to its East, the Indian Ocean is virtually a land-locked ocean.
Access to this ocean is controlled by several choke points, through which shipping
has to necessarily pass.
A number of the world's most important strategic chokepoints, including (Straits of

Hormuz and Malacca) through which more than 50% of the world's maritime oil is
traded.
These vital choke points need to be kept open at all times to keep both our economy as well
as the global economy running smoothly.
Energy Security and its importance:
IOR is contiguous to one of the major oil producing regions of the world the
Persian Gulf the energy lifelines of the world as also major trade routes also pass
through this region.
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As a result of rapidly developing economies, the Asia-Pacific region's share of world

energy consumption will rise from the present 20 per cent to 31 per cent in 2020
with 80 per cent of this requirement being sourced from the Persian Gulf.
Today about 50 super-tankers traverse the sea-lanes between the Lakshadweep and
Andaman Islands. This figure is expected to reach 150-200 by 2020.
Security of Energy Flows:
India's annual oil consumption is expected to rise to 150 million tons by 2020, with
the country likely to be the world's single largest importer of oil by 2050.
Global energy interests also translate into the permanent and increasing presence of
extra regional navies in the Indian Ocean in general and the Arabian Sea in particular.
Ensuring unhindered flow of oil from this region will be a major maritime preoccupation, especially in times of conflict.
Securing our Maritime Interests:
As a mature and responsible maritime power, India has a clear self-interest in what
happens in her geo-strategic maritime areas of interest.
At fundamental level, this 'self-interest' finds expression in the statement of our
core national interest as derived from the Constitution of India, namely to assure
the economic, material and the spiritual well-being of the 'People of India'. Naturally,
this core national interest requires the assurance of security in every form.
Consequently, the maritime security of India and its environs is central to the
functioning of the Indian Navy.
Sea Power in Peace and War

The term sea power is a much broader concept that entails at least four elements:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Control of international trade and commerce;

Usage and control of ocean resources;
Operations of navies in war;
Use of navies and maritime economic power as instruments of diplomacy,
deterrence, and political influence in times of peace.
Unlike the concepts of land power or air power, which are generally defined only in military
terms, sea power can never be quite separated from its geo-economic purposes.
The Benign Role apart from being traditional military might:
The Indian Navy's role in providing timely succour to Indonesia and Sri Lanka,
despite our preoccupation with relief operations in Andaman and Nicobar, in
Tsunami is well documented.
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Humanitarian and Disaster Relief capability of the Indian Navy was again evident
during the recent cyclone Nargis.
In fact, providing a responsive and effective Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster
Relief throughout the Indian Ocean Region remains a core focus area for the Indian
Navy, considering that 70 per cent of the world's natural disasters occur in the Indian
Ocean Region.
The Potential for Conflict:

Competing Interests:
China and India are dependent on energy resources transported via the sea lanes in
the Indian Ocean to fuel their economies.
Beijing's regional vision - outlines its One Belt, One Road plan (Silk Road Economic
Belt & Maritime Silk Road).
China's ties with regional states have deepened, including the influx of Chinese
capital into construction projects in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
China has also undertaken efforts to modernize its military, particularly its naval
deployment capabilities to protect overseas interests like personnel, property and
investments.
United States' shifting from a foreign policy dominated by the Middle East to one
centred on Asia has also been a contributing factor elevating concern over Indian
Ocean security.
Hence strong navy can deter the ambitions of aggressors, assure friends and allies, gain and
maintain access, and protect our citizens while working to maintain order at sea.
Trans-national Crime:
Maritime terrorism and piracy are today, the most potent threats to international
maritime trade.
Complicating the maritime threat picture is growing speculation that a tactical nexus
could emerge between piracy and terrorism.
The Fragile Peace in the IOR:
On the military level, conflicts exist along the all important ISLs: from the Bab-elMandeb and the Straits of Hormuz, along the coastline of South Asia, to the Straits of
Malacca and by way of geographical extension to the South China Sea.
Piracy is rampant and terrorist organisations often operate in the poorly policed
regions.
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Opportunities for Maritime Cooperation
Globalisation imperatives have given impetus for concerted and cooperative effort
of maritime forces in securing the maritime highways.
Cooperative efforts of the littoral countries of the Malacca Strait has led to a
dramatic decrease in incidents of piracy and armed robbery.
On the Western flank of the region, the efforts of the multi-national 'Task Force 150'
are underway to keep maritime crime in check.
An increasing number of navies around the world, including the Indian Navy views
'Constructive Engagement' as the answer to common maritime challenges.
At the intellectual level 'Constructive Engagement' amongst the littoral States of the
Indian Ocean Region, the Indian Navy has taken initiative to set-up an inclusive and
consultative regional forum 'Indian Ocean Naval Symposium'.
Way ahead:
Strategic Correctives
Today, the geo-strategic significance of India as a stabilising power in the IOR is globally
accepted and there is a distinct realisation that India is destined to play a larger global role
in the years ahead.
1. Attitude towards Defence Expenditure:
Our current defence budget being less than 2 per cent of GDP is indicative of the
prevalent ambivalence.
Although managing Indias growing economic interdependence has emerged as a
key national objective, the navys share of the defence budget has remained modest
at well below 20 per cent.
2. Coordination of Maritime Security:
We currently have a plethora of organisations handling policies and enforcement
measures.
A formal mechanism for coordination among the multiple users of the sea would
enable effective and time critical coordination among varied maritime related
ministries and departments.
Creation of "an apex body for management of maritime affairs" is long overdue.
In conclusion:
A good defence and foreign policy must, therefore, leverage the power of the Indian
Navy to its best advantage.
The Navy on its part must retain the capability at all times to operate across the
spectrum of conflict which will enable performance of security tasks from
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peacetime, through low-intensity and sub-conventional conflict to conventional

conflict and if need be, even under a nuclear overhang.
Our fundamental quest for a better quality of life for our citizens remains irrefutable.
However, the argument between guns and butter is not simply a zero-sum game. In
order to facilitate growth and development of our citizens, we need to create a
secure environment for our country. And a secure environment will be achieved only
when it is abundantly clear that we are a strong, confident nation with a surplus of
security assets and the resolve to act in our national interest.
Throw light on how can Indian Navy enrich defence and foreign policy of India?
Can Indian Navy play role in Constructive engagement amongst littoral states of
IOR? Comment.
Land power and Air powers are defined only in terms of military might but sea
power can never be separated from its geo-economic purposes. Examine.
TOPIC:
General studies 2:


Post-Pathankot, India and Pakistan countries have shown some maturity in keeping the
rhetoric down.
Some hope has been revived, with Islamabad promising an investigation into any Pakistani
links, the attackers of the Indian airbase may have had, and India keeping its cool.
What measures Pakistan has taken post Pathankot attack?
Though Pakistan has not registered a first information report in the Pathankot
attack, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has promised to investigate the leads provided
by the Indian establishment.
The proof of the investigation will, needless to say, lie in the arrest and prosecution
of the militant hand in Pakistan that is likely to have guided the Pathankot attackers.
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Failed assurance by Pakistan in the past:
After the Mumbai attacks too, there was a similar moment of cooperation where it
appeared that none other than the chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)
directorate would travel to India, but the initiative was stillborn.
Arrests were made by Pakistan soon after the 26/11 terror strike, but the failure to
prosecute Zaki-ur-RehmanLakhvi, believed to be the operational commander of the
Mumbai attacks, and Hafiz Saeed, big boss of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), stand out as
major negatives.
The recent deposition by LeT operative David Coleman Headley has re-opened the
wounds of Mumbai.
If the two countries are not careful, these wounds plus Pathankot can hit the nascent
process of cooperation hard.
Has anything changed in Pakistan?
The country has changed in some ways - though the attitude towards India remains a
mix of warmth and friendliness at the individual level, but consistently hostile at the
collective level.
It is very clear that the military is the dominant player and exercises virtual veto over
policies concerning defence and security and relations with India, the US, China and
Afghanistan.
The terrorist attack against schoolchildren in Peshawar more than a year ago and the
more recent attack on the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda do appear to have
brought about a change in public mood against jihadi and militant groups.
Way ahead:
For terror outfits, success lies in ensuring that all dialogue between India and
Pakistan remains suspended.
If the neighbours want to stretch their moment of anti-terrorist cooperation to
something meaningful, they must act without losing any time.
The forces ranged against such cooperation as demonstrated by what was
attempted after Mumbai 26/11 are formidable.
Critically examine the importance of a stable Pakistan in maintaining peace and

harmony in south Asian region.
India Pakistan relations are marred with mutual distrust. Suggest a blueprint to
revive good relations between the two countries.
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TOPIC:
General studies 3: Security challenges and their management in border areas;

linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
General studies 2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing
countries on Indias interests, Indian diaspora.
Rapid advances by the Syrian Arab Army and its allied militias into the northern city
of Aleppo and the southern city of Daraa suggest that a part of the Syrian civil war
might be near an end.
Massive Russian air strikes have raised the morale of the Syrian governments forces,
which have cut off rebel supply lines to Turkey and to Jordan erasing in a few weeks
gains made by the rebels since 2011.
Aleppo is now virtually surrounded, while two major towns (Ibta and Dael) near
Daraa delivered themselves to the government.
The western edge of Syria, from Aleppo to Daraa, is now almost in government
hands.
IS growing stronger on the eastern front:
Out in eastern Syria, the Islamic State (IS) continues to hold territory despite the
barrage of air strikes from the United States and Russia.
The loss of Ramadi in Iraq and pressure from Twitter has not dampened the
confidence of the IS.
It continues to hold Raqqa and to spawn newer and newer ways to reach its
supporters on social media.
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Like the IS, much the same attitude is visible from Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda
affiliate in Syria.
Failed peace process for Syria:
Terrible days lie ahead for Syria.

A meeting to formulate a peace process in Geneva was abandoned by the
opposition.
They felt correctly that they had come to the UN table in a posture of defeat.
This was more surrender than negotiation.
The Istanbul- and Paris-based Syrian opposition have found that since the Russian
intervention, their military positions are now greatly reduced.
Rebels groups that are being pinned down will strike with ferocity, there is no easy
way to imagine negotiations or surrender.
Death and destruction:

According to Damascus-based Syrian Centre for Policy Research, around 4,70,000 people
have died by the end of 2015 out of 23 million. This was established based on various
surveys and studies.
A critical situation in Syria:
Close to half of Syrias people have been dislodged by this war, many rushing across
the border but most taking shelter with friends and families within Syria itself.
More than half the population is unemployed, with survival being found in the
shadows of the destroyed cities and towns.
Poverty rates are dangerously high, 85 per cent are in poverty, while as many as 69
per cent are in extreme poverty and over a third are in abject poverty.
Life expectancy has dropped from 70 years in 2010 to 55 years in 2015, a full 15
years lost.
Collapsing economy:
Until last year, the Syrian government continued to pay salaries to government
workers, an infusion into the economy that kept consumption alive.
Under pressure last year from a string of battlefield defeats and morale problems in
the military, the government shifted its priorities to military spending.
Inflation struck hard, pushing up prices not only of essential goods for consumption
but also for inputs towards manufacturing.
Exports out of Syria collapsed and the internal market fell victim to the
fragmentation of the country under different power brokers.
Syria has been de-industrialised by this conflict. It is now reliant upon agriculture,
which has been lucky to have good weather this year, and so a decent harvest of
wheat, olives and fruit.
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Hunger would be a much greater problem than it is now if the weather had not
turned.
A sad story:
The unity of Syria long a proud part of Arab nationalist thought is no longer
inevitable.
The country has already been fragmented by the war economy.
Regime change has left 23 million Syrians with no real country.
It is being slowly wiped off the map.
Critically examine the various factors responsible for the present crises in Syria.
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate

General studies 3:
Sustainable Development, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation,
Security challenges
Operationalising 'Blue Diplomacy'

Constituents of Blue Economy
The blue economy encompasses in it
The green economy with focus on the environment

The ocean economy or coastal economy with its emphasis on
complementarities among coastal and island states for sustenance and sustainable
development
Specialising in the Blue Economy
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Why the Blue Economy:
The oceans have been an age-old source of livelihood, trade, colonialism, storms and
piracy, encompassing within its realms present opportunities and challenges with
the learnings of the past
The traditional blue-water economy has been in operation, from the point of view of
bilateral stakes or economic pursuits; including the negotiators of the UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) gaining prominence since the 1980s
The new blue economy, introduced by Gunter Pauli in his 2010 book, The Blue
Economy: 10 Years 10 Innovations 100 Million Jobs, has opened new avenues
for bilateral and multilateral work, involving the environment, energy, defence and
food production.
Blue Economy Strategic Thought Forum India

Under the auspices of the National Maritime Foundation
Defines the blue economy as Marine-based economic development that leads to
improved human wellbeing and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental
risks and ecological scarcities
Central Principle of the Blue Economy
Idea of cascading nutrients and energy the way ecosystems do, via fascinating
innovations inspiring innovators
Cascading energy and nutrients leads to sustainability by reducing or eliminating inputs,
such as energy, and eliminating waste and its cost, not just as pollution, but also as an
efficient use of materials
Innovations: Potential to increase rather than shed jobs, as emulating natural systems
will mean the deployment of humans rather than machines
Examples of Forwarded Ideas
Eliminating air in freezing water,

Use of food-grade ingredients as fire retardants,
Growing mushrooms with coffee-shop waste,
Silk as a replacement of titanium,
Electricity generated by walking and talking, etc.
Since the 1980s
The discovery of manganese nodules and cobalt crusts on the ocean floor has since
1980s, led to a euphoric moment related to marine mining, thus establishing a
stake over marine resources in the run for resources currency.
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Escalating costs and the need of the hour when connected with the industrial
development has also added fuel to the rivalry-in-heart of the nations having their
eyes upon the resources.
And, this led to the establishment of the International Seabed AuthorityUNCLOSConstitution of the seas, which came into force in 1994, became the basis for the
legal rights for mining in the open sea
India & the Indian Ocean Region

Need to strengthen security and economic cooperation In a new theatre of tension
Re-emergence of piracy
US rebalancing of forces
Counter-measures by China
Deep economic interests in protecting the sea lanes in the Indian Ocean
through which most of their imports of fuel traverse and a large part of their
manufacturing exports are shipped
One belt, One road (Obor) is a $150 billion grandiose development strategy
and framework for China to push for a bigger role in global affairs and to increase
its exports
British colonialists and the American imperialistsguard their trade routes and fuel
supplies (motive as well as the money to fund their military adventures)
Importance Both the traditional blue-water economy and the new blue economy are
important for Indias sustainable development. The imperatives of cooperation and the
need for adept diplomacy are evident.
In September 2015, the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) hosted the first Ministerial
Blue Economy Conference and identified priorities
Priority Areas
Maritime security:
Freedom of navigation in Indian Ocean

Safety and security of sea lanes in Indian Ocean
Share best practices in coastal security
Disaster Reduction & Management:
Coordination in the Search and Rescue Operation

Hold workshop to share experiences on disasters frequenting the areas
Management of cyclones, monsoon floods, etc
Oil spills: Joint training and solutions
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Trade-Investment:
Working group on trade-investment

Will hold a workshop on customs (duty) harmonization and trade policy of member
countries
Closer interaction with other regional organisations
Strive for Blue-Economy
Fisheries Management:
Regulation of fishing activates in coastal waters

Harvest fish stocks in sustainable manner (No fishing during breeding season)
Combating illegal fishing and damaging fishing techniques (e.g. Use of very fine nets,
Trawling issues)
S&T-Academic Cooperation:
Between universities and academies of member-states

Exchange of ideas between the Academic and Business Forums
Tourism-Cultural Exchanges People to people as well as Business contact

Goal 14 of the UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Conserve and sustainably
use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development makes detailed
references to the reduction of marine pollution, conservation of coastal and marine areas
and regulated fish harvest.
IASbabas Views:
The convergences in the IORA and SDG agendas have to be developed into action,
especially when there exists no strategic clarity per se. Therefore, the initiative must
be built upon and sustained
To boost Indias own civilian maritime infrastructure
To ramp up its capabilities to take up major maritime projects in other countries
To lend some vigour to its defence diplomacy in the region
To frame the governments plans for a more purposeful maritime engagement in
the Indian Ocean.
Indias neighbourhood policy assumes primary importance in light of the blue
economy as well as India can profitably integrate its ongoing programmes like Make
in India, Smart Cities, Skill Development and self-reliance in defence.
A process of training of a diplomatic cadre can help India move towards immediate
grasping of the immense possibilities forwarded by the blue economy and Delhis
forthcoming chairmanship of the BRICS will offer a splendid opportunity to highlight
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the cooperation needed for the blue economy which needs to be encashed in a
timely manner.
Outline the steps India needs to take to establish its strategic and economic interests
in the Indian Ocean Region.
Stating the importance of IOR-ARC, briefly describe the challenges that the ocean
diplomacy presents with itself?

affecting India's interests.
Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's
Bringing India's growth online
On February 29, observers around the world will be watching as India's government
presents its 2016-2017 Budget.
They will be looking for signs that India, today the world's fastest expanding major
economy, will continue to grow at pace, and help shore up a slowing global
economy.
But until India is more integrated with the global economy, its potential to push up
domestic as well as global growth will remain limited.
The case of APEC:

The first and necessary step toward greater Indian participation in Asian and global trade
and investment flows is membership in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
forum, a step whose time has come, for India, for APEC, and for the international
economy.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim member

economies that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
It was established in 1989 in response to the growing interdependence of AsiaPacific economies and the advent of regional trade blocs in other parts of the world
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Why APEC matters?
For 26 years, the APEC has served as the key driver of Asian regional economic
integration by developing habits of economic dialogue and cooperation and
facilitating market opening and trade expansion.
Today the 21 APEC member economies account for approximately 60 per cent of
global GDP and 40 per cent of global trade.
APEC membership is also a facilitating condition for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
membership.
What TPP can do?
With the advent of the TPP, the great unfinished task of Asian economic integration
is India's closer involvement.
The potential gain for the regional and global economies is significant.
As growth in China and the rest of Asia slows, the Asian region and Western
economies are in search of new markets for trade and investment, access to new
consumers and workers, and new sources of innovation.
Why the world economy needs India?
India, today Asia's third largest economy, is projected by the US Department of

Agriculture to be the world's third largest by 2030.
Its burgeoning middle class, expected to number 450 million by 2030, will be a major
contributor to global demand if it is better connected to other markets.
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India's rapidly increasing workforce could help offset aging populations and labour
shortages in other Asian and developed economies.
India's huge infrastructure needs could offer favourable opportunities for
international investment if India's markets are better aligned with global standards.
India gains from APEC:
India has even more to gain from the APEC, which would help India boost its longterm growth.
The APEC's institutional processes of trade facilitation, consultation on standards,
and sharing of best practices will help India improve its regulatory regime and
business environment.
This, in turn, helps make India more attractive to investors and more competitive in
international markets.
The APEC would help India access the transnational supply chains that increasingly
dominate the global economy, an objective critical for the present Prime Ministers
plan to create 100 million manufacturing jobs by 2022.
Way ahead:
Throughout its history, the APEC has included economies that have varied widely in
their size, stage of development, and trade policy orientation.
China was an APEC member for 10 years before making the reform commitments
that brought it into the WTO.
When Vietnam joined, its economy and policies were very different from those of
most APEC members. Now, it is a TPP member.
One of APEC's most important contributions has been to assist the gradual opening
of emerging economies.
The time to bring India into APEC is now - 2016. For the first time in 20 years, India is
actively seeking to join.
The APEC's major economies - the US, China, Japan and Russia - have all recently welcomed
India's interest in joining APEC.
US President has developed a close relationship with the present Prime Minister, and has
the opportunity in his final year in office to help deliver APEC membership for India.
Critically examine the importance of regional trade blocs in promoting global

economic growth with special reference to APEC.
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ECONOMICS
TOPIC:
General Studies 3:
Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth,

development and employment; Inclusive Growth
Agriculture & Related Issues- Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the
country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and
marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology
in the aid of farmers
General Studies 2:

Need to Revive Agriculture
The story of agriculture (backbone of the country in terms of livelihoods) has not
been sounding right since the past two years and the crash in global commodity
prices and deficit rainfall for two years in a row have affected farmers incomes
drastically.
Agriculture GDP (gross domestic product) grew at (-)0.2% in 2014-15 and 1.1% in
2015-16; with 10 states have declared drought this year.
Coupled with the forward and backward linkages, the manufacturing and services
sectors have been getting affects inevitably.
Lets talk strategically:

Two-pronged strategy:
Raise: Productivity and Incomes of farmers
Cope: Risks due to climate change and Crash in commodity prices
Therefore, the following steps need to be taken
Productivity:
Emphasis should be given more on investment in infrastructure such as irrigation,

rural roads and electricity as well as public investment in rural infrastructure can act
as a major game-changer her.
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The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) and the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas
Yojana (RKVY) can serve as a good way forward but proper implementation and
more funding is required.
More crops per drop of water: Water-use efficiency (water productivity) has to be
increased with better policies on watershed development, groundwater and
involvement of farmers in the management of irrigation systems. Need to encourage
drip irrigation (covers 10 times the area covered by usual flood irrigation)
Climate-resilient Agriculture (CRA):

Diversified cropping systems
In the international year of pulses, India can do well by cultivating pulses as its
deficient in its production.
Why Pulses: Pulses are legumes which improve soil fertility and can contribute in
reducing food inflation
Win-win situation: In terms of attaining self-sufficiency and raising soil fertility
Crop insurance for Risk Mitigation:
Higher allocation of funds under PMFBY

Lessons need to be learnt and applied from the failure related to crop insurance
schemes
MNRGA should be given an ultimate push as it is much useful in asset creation and
drought proofing; studies also showing reductions in vulnerability due to the
implementation of MGNREGA works and resultant environmental benefits
Focus on the role of research and extension systems:
India needs to invest in research and extension-activities of agriculture as research

can lead to the development of climate-resilient technologies and the extension
system will promote these technologies among farmers
Research on adaptation and mitigation should cover crops, livestock, fisheries and
natural resources management and focus on technology improvement is crucial for
increasing productivity and conserving natural resources (High returns assured)
Fertilizer Subsidies:
Fertilizer subsidies should directly be reaching farmers- cutting down the costs
wasted in the process by involving middle men.
Saved funds: Can be alternatively used provided for investment in infrastructure
(irrigation)
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Legalizing Land Tenancy:
A proper policy needs to be formulated and advanced, taking into consideration the
important issues along with solutions forwarded.
Will lead to access to land for the rural population
Will increase private investment in agriculture
Remunerative prices and development of markets:
The talks about National Agricultural market (an online platform for selling
agricultural produce) have borne lot of hope in the minds of the farmers, across the
length and breadth of the country.
This will not only help farmer raise his income but will also assure him of accurate
earnings (or maybe better prices)
For the plan to work on the desied level, much effort needs to be put in the
marketing front using a tailored value chain approach to connect farmers to input
and output markets
Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs):
It needs to be strengthened and good practices from successful milk cooperatives

can be studied-selected-suit to meet the needs of the farmers and be implemented
Incentives can be given to commodity-specific FPOs to develop value chains (e.g:
FPOs for pulses can be developed on a large scale)
Agricultural Credit:
A proper surveillance of the past allocated agricultural credit needs to be done and
thus, this years credit disbursement be based upon it
Measures also, have to be taken to increase the formal credit to small and marginal
farmers as a Reserve Bank committee found that their access to it was limited
Utilization of JAM-Trinity needs to be enhanced
What are the objectives of an efficient marketing system for the agricultural
produce? Enlist the facilities needed by a farmer to market his produce.
An efficient transport system is critically important to efficient agricultural
marketing. Discuss.
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TOPIC:
General studies 2:

General studies 3:

development and employment.
Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
From Plate to Plough: How to expand financial inclusion
Financial inclusion is an important policy pillar of the present government to ensure

inclusive development (sabka saath, sabka vikas).
What it means, in brief, is to mainstream financial services for the masses, especially
credit at affordable costs from institutional sources.
Historical background:
This is not the first time financial inclusion is being given a thrust.
Various governments tried to bolster it, and that was one of the reasons bank
nationalisation took place.
There have been some successes during 1951 to 1991, when the share of
outstanding debt of rural households to institutional sources increased from 7.2
per cent in 1951 to 64 per cent by 1991.
Dismal performance during economic reforms period:
However thereafter, the period of economic reforms showed a dismal performance,

with the share of institutional sources declining from 64 to 56 per cent during 19912013.
This is one of the biggest lapses of the economic reforms.
If the present government can correct this flaw, it can be a game changer in
alleviating poverty at a much faster pace than has been the case under economic
reforms.
The case of PMJDY:
Realising the importance of financial inclusion, the government took a bold step by
introducing the Jan Dhan Yojana (JDY).
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So far, around 20 crore bank accounts have been opened, and more than Rs30,000
crore deposits received under JDY.
However, the real challenge is to prevent these accounts from remaining dormant.
Why in news now?
To ensure that JDY remains active and relevant in fulfilling its objective, the PM had asked
the RBI to prepare a roadmap for financial inclusion.
RBI Committee on Medium-Term Path on Financial Inclusion:
The report of the RBI Committee on Medium-Term Path on Financial Inclusion,

released in December 2015, emphasised the role of a holistic strategy involving
players like telecom operators, biometric systems, payment banks and land
registrars for last mile service delivery.
Some of its major recommendations include linking all credit accounts with a
biometric identifier, such as Aadhaar; moving away from short-term interest rate
subvention on crop loans and towards a crop insurance scheme; and replacing
various input and output subsidies with direct benefit transfers (DBT).
A concern that needs intervention:
The report finds that although there has been significant improvement in access to
banking services through expansion in a number of rural branches, banking
correspondents and no-frill banking accounts, a large degree of financial exclusion
prevails in east and north eastern India.
High interest rates (above 20 per cent) charged by the informal sector as well as
micro financial institutions continue to be a concern.
Phasing out the interest subvention scheme:

One of the key recommendations of the RBI committee is on phasing out the interest
subvention scheme
The interest subvention scheme was introduced in 2006-07, with the objective of
providing substantial and cheap loans at 7 per cent interest (upper limit of Rs 3
lakh), and if payment is regular, gradually lowered to 4 per cent.
Some states have extended loans even at zero interest rate to farmers.
This has resulted in a significant increase in short-term agricultural credit, with actual
disbursements consistently surpassing targets.
This is hailed as a grand success and the subsidy on account of it has increased from
Rs 3,283 crore in FY12 to Rs 13,000 crore in FY16.
A potential agri-credit scam:
Theres reasonable evidence that a significant proportion of crop loans granted at

low interest rates isnt reaching target beneficiaries.
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A farmer who receives loans at a concessional rate of 4 per cent can easily deposit
at least a part of it in fixed deposits in the bank, earning about 8 per cent interest,
or even becoming a moneylender to offer loans at 15-20 per cent interest to those
who dont have access to institutional sources of finance.
We dont need a bigger proof than the fact that short-term credit from institutional
sources reached 110 per cent of the total value of agricultural inputs in 2014 (NAS
2015), and at the same time, AIDIS data shows 44 per cent loans were from noninstitutional sources in 2013.
This suspicion is reaffirmed when one looks at the month-wise disbursement of
agricultural credit, which spiked to 62 per cent of annual disbursement in the last
quarter of FY14, with no corresponding spike in agri-production activities.
Way ahead:
The success seen in the first half of inclusion should be continued further in order to ensure
complete financial inclusion in India.
Analyse the extent and causes of low financial inclusion in India. Explain measures
taken by government to promote better financial inclusion in India.
Critically analyse the success of PMJDY in promoting financial inclusion within the
country.
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
General studies 3:
Agriculture related issues
Insure farmers, ensure their future
Jammu: Litchi was flowering-much earlier and out of season because winter had not come
and it was warmer than usual; but as the chill is setting in, the flowers are falling and there
will be no fruit this summer
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Bihar: Standing wheat crops were hit last fortnight by unseasonal hail and bitter cold that
came after days of warmer-than-usual temperatures
Pathetic State of Insurance Awareness
Despite more than a quarter of a century of implementation- the penetration of crop
insurance is not up to the mark and proportion of voluntary farmers insuring their crops is
still very small.
What ails the Crop Insurance Sector?
High Basis Risk

Delay in Settlement of Claims
Unattractive guaranteed yields
Lack of adequate number of weather stations- To reflect the spatial variability in
weather pattern & poor product design
Lack of product benchmarking& uniform standards in product design
Lack of correlation between the weather index & yield experience
Urgent Requirement
Awareness: We need to understand the magnitude of the current events related to climate
change happening all around the world and keep updating our preparedness plan
accordingly. This can help us to stay aware of the magnitude of the possible catastrophe as
well as help us stay prepared beforehand.
Requirement of insurance for an increasingly climate-vulnerable world: It is important to
formulate a working plan for the poor, who have little collateral and faces the highest risk.
The new crop insurance policy called Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), which
will replace the existing national agricultural insurance scheme, can be considered a step
ahead in addressing some concerns. But there is a long way to go to design a universal
insurance scheme, which can be an effective safety net for farmers.
Proper estimation of Crop Damage: Estimating the crop damage accurately and then paying
for the claim without fuss and delay is still a sought after phenomena in India. In PMFBY the
insurance unit is now a village, as against the revenue administrative unit of a block in the
previous scheme. A block covers a large area with sub-regional variations in weather events.
Therefore, if it rains heavily in a few villages but not across the block, then farmers would
not be able to claim damage without evidence to show this anomaly. Therefore, the
geographic risk to be addressed goes down with enormous cost implications with weather
stations recording this anomaly in a grossly inadequate manner
System of verifying claims: State governments are expected to conduct crop-cutting
experiments to estimate what would be the actual yield as well as conduct the estimation of
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the loss. These experiments are often poorly done and do not give real value of the
produce. Then, when the claim is filed, the assessment is done by the patwari, the lowest
revenue official in the district who is expected to visit and estimate damage and thus starts
the tale of corruption.
IASbabas Views:
There is a need for the increased usage of new technologies-remote-sensing to

mobile-based image-capturing systems. For example, technologies like the
Terrestrial Observation and Prediction System (TOPS), a modelling framework that
assimilates data from earth-orbiting satellites and ground weather stations and
creates spatial continuous grids at 1km resolution can be helpful.
Also, the use of mobile phone to improve yield data and timeliness of processing
claims has been portrayed to be the ultimate warrior to deal with problems of
delays.
Insurance coverage has to be universal and pay-outs should be enough to cover the
losses. An exclusive institutional set-up is thus, vital for designing farmer centric
insurance products
Schemes:
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
Replaces the existing National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and Modified
NAIS (MNIAS)
In line with One Nation One Scheme theme
Lowest premium rate
Inundation Included under localised risk cover
Post-harvest losses arising out of cyclone and unseasonal rain have been covered
Emphasis on mobile and satellite technology to facilitate accurate assessment and
quick settlement of claims
Thus, incorporates the best features of all previous schemes and at the same time, all
previous shortcomings/weaknesses have been removed
National Crop Insurance Programme (NCIP) / Rashtriya Fasal Bima Karyakram (RFBK)
NCIP is a Central Sector Scheme formulated by merging National Agricultural

Insurance Scheme (NAIS), Pilot Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS), Pilot
Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (MNAIS) and Pilot Coconut Palm
Insurance Scheme (CPIS).
Loanee farmers will be covered on compulsory basis under the component- scheme
of NCIP notified by the concerned state, while non-loanee farmers will choose either
MNAIS or WBCIS component.
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WEATHER BASED CROP INSURANCE SCHEME
Weather Based Crop Insurance aims to mitigate the hardship of the insured farmers
against the likelihood of financial loss on account of anticipated crop loss resulting
from incidence of adverse conditions of weather parameters like rainfall,
temperature, frost, humidity etc.
Weather based Crop Insurance uses weather parameters as proxy for crop yields in
compensating the cultivators for deemed crop losses.
Is weather insurance best suited to cover catastrophic losses? Explain.

Do you agree that the insurance (product) design exhibits limitations in being the
missing piece of puzzle to adjust to the climate-change centric global change?
Substantiate your viewpoints and suggest the way ahead.
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges
pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local
levels and challenges therein.
General studies 3:

development Government Budgeting.

Fiscal Deficit = Total Revenue Total Expenditure
2015: India's fiscal deficit has reached 68 percent of its full-year target (totalling 3.79 trillion
rupees)
Net tax receipts: 3.7 trillion rupees in the first half of the fiscal year to March 2016
Total Spending: 9.1 trillion rupees
Note:
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Most of governments expenditure is non-discretionary interest payments, salaries,

defence, and subsidies like food and fertiliser
More than a third of its revenues are corporate taxes, which by definition depend on
corporate profits, which are hard to predict in the current scenario
Reasons favouring the Deficit
Signs of revival in private investment not visible

Untimely bounce in commodity prices
Seventh Pay Commission- Expected to add an additional 0.65 per cent of GDP to
expenditure
One-rank one-pension obligations
Stress on revenue collections
Non-availability of gains from declining global oil prices
Weakening rural demand is weakening
Impact of the Declining Nominal GDP

Adverse impact on indicators
Current account deficit,

Sales growth,
Growth in profit and tax collections
Revenue Measures employed
Excise duty hikes on diesel and petrol,

Withdrawal of exemptions from
Motor vehicles,
Capital goods
Consumer durables,
Levy of 0.5 per cent Swachh Bharat Cess and
Increase in service tax rate to 14 per cent from 12.36 per cent
Difficult Road Ahead
Commodity prices are not expected to register any major bounce back
Advantage in revenue collection due to falling global prices will be missing
The subsidy bill might provide some cushion to the government
Centre's fiscal position and its dependency on the global price of oil
India imports about 80 per cent of its oil needs and the subsidies are unsustainable
in the long run
2013- Mechanism for reducing diesel subsidies came into being
Gas cylinder subsidies have been capped, but fertiliser and kerosene subsidies
remain to be addressed.
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Twin devolutions
Centre follows the process of passing the responsibility for several Centrally-Sponsored
Schemes to states, which were earlier, shared between the relevant central ministry and the
state authorities
14th Finance Commission in 2015 increased by 10 whole percentage points - from 32
per cent to 42 per cent - the proportion of taxes devolved to states
2015-16 Union Budget- Centre passed full funding responsibility for several
previously shared schemes on to the states
'UDAY' scheme: Several States have signed for this scheme which deals with the
restructuring of power debt (power-related liabilities in States books)
Pressure to "pause" fiscal consolidation:
In order to enhance stimulus spending in the wake of subdued domestic and global
demand,
To finance an infrastructure build-out
Clouded assumptions dealing with the implementation of the Goods and Services
Tax and questions on whether or not it will be completely revenue-neutral
Will it happen again in the next fiscal year?

It might not
Spill over of the deficit seems to be much lower, and revenue targets seem credible
(indirect taxes are growing much faster than budgeted)
Government, through a prudent increase in taxes on petrol and diesel, has retained
more than half of the benefits of lower oil prices, improving its finances
IASbabas Views
The more the fiscal deficit, the more dangerous elements of Greece crisis looks
towards India which will lead to adverse consequences
Outflow of capital
Adverse impact on currency rates
Knock off in the fiscal discipline
Fiscal Management, today is in need of professional advice and therefore, the creation
of a catalyst service which analyses the cost and comes to a realistic assessment of cost
is necessarily required
More structural changes in the Plan spending and definitive measures to contain NonPlan spending within sustainable limits needs to be cultivated in the discipline as well as
reducing reliance on tactics like pushing out expenditure or pulling in revenues, and
instead working with more credible fiscal targets would be a better tactic towards
achieving development
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Government should keep looking for ways and at ways to raise revenue, especially in the
absence of non-tax windfalls like coal auction next fiscal, etc
Is the current working of fiscal management creating unnecessary economic volatility?

Discuss.
The federal structure of India does not give the central government any control over
the state governments. Critically examine.
TOPIC:
General studies 2:

Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
General studies 3:
Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, irrigation,
agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of
farmers.
Agricultural issues: Going against the grain
Recent reports say India has become the worlds fastest-growing economy in terms
of GDP growth, overtaking China.
While this may be the case, we must pause and reflect over what this means for the
800 million-plus population that lives and works in our rural areas.
An outlook of agricultural performance in India:
Between 2003 and 2012, there was a clear turnaround in our agricultural
performance.
But the rate of growth in agriculture and allied activities is down from about 4 per
cent per annum in the 11th Plan period to just 1.7 per cent in the first three years of
the 12th Plan (2012-15).
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Crises deepens in Indian agriculture:
Over 300,000 farmers have committed suicide in the last decade, and in
Maharashtra alone, over 2,000 such cases have been reported last year.
Worse, India is currently reeling under the impact of an unprecedented drought.
For the second year in succession, rainfall in the monsoon season has been less
than normal; 302 districts in the country have been declared drought-hit.
Since agriculture is the source of livelihood for millions in rural India, droughts
push the already precarious lives of smallholder farmers and agricultural labourers
to the brink, leading to massive rural distress.
Why does agricultural growth matter?
The World Banks World Development Report 2008 shows that agricultural growth is
at least twice as effective in reducing poverty compared to growth originating in
non-agricultural sectors.
In India, too, 80 per cent of the people officially counted as poor lived in rural India
in 2011-12.
This means that for making a significant dent in poverty, rural incomes have to grow
at a faster rate.
The gap between urban and rural consumption levels has increased over the years.
Recent studies have shown that despite the spurt in rural incomes between 2005
and 2012 caused by a rise in commodity prices and favourable terms of trade for
agriculture, the level of non-farm incomes is at least three times that of farm
incomes even today.
The changing rural economy:
The rural economy in its current juncture is a lot less agricultural than it used to be
earlier.
With the fall in the average size of landholding, over 90 per cent of farmers are now
in the small and marginal category and they cultivate over 50 per cent of the
cropped area.
Smallholder farmers are increasingly forced to combine non-farm work with work on
their own land.
Data from the 68th round of the National Sample Survey (2011-12) show that about 36
million workers have shifted from agriculture to non-agricultural sectors between 2004-05
and 2011-12, meaning that a major part of their income comes from work outside
agriculture.
On account of this inter-sectoral movement, the share of agriculture in the total

workforce has fallen below the 50 per cent mark for the first time after
Independence.
While this number has been contested, the fact remains that sectors like rural
construction are now the sites employing substantial numbers of workers.
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Given the poor working conditions in these sectors and the overall decline in quality
of employment in the economy, this is likely to be the result of a swapping of lowincome farm work for low-quality non-farm work, as many observers point out.
The huge challenge of employment generation:
As the Economic Survey 2014-15 shows, regardless of the data source used,
employment growth (1.40 per cent) has lagged behind growth in the labour force
(2.23 per cent) between 2001 and 2011.
Clearly, employment elasticity of growth, showing the effectiveness of the economic
system in generating employment, seems to have declined over time.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has
provided relief employment to around 5 crore rural households per year over the
last decade.
However, since 2012, both the number of households covered and the number of
person days of employment generated under MGNREGA in the country as a whole
has undergone a steep decline.
Public investment the key:
Public investment holds the key to addressing the long-term structural constraints of
the rural economy.
Official land use statistics show that 55 per cent of cultivated area still has no access
to irrigation.
Variations in the pattern of seasonal rainfall themselves create extreme vulnerability
in this rainfed segment of Indian agriculture.
The experience of watershed projects over the last three decades has shown that
local harvesting of monsoon run-off can be a good drought-mitigating mechanism as
it provides supplemental irrigation to crops at crucial periods of plant growth.
Investments under MGNREGA and watershed programmes need to be converged in
this overall framework of drought-proofing rainfed agriculture.
Since rainfed agriculture produces about 40 per cent of our foodgrain and a major
share of pulses, millets and oilseeds, investments are urgently required from the
point of view of food security.
Promoting crop diversity:
Crop diversification is another big challenge.

Even with changing consumption patterns, pulses are the main source of protein for
the poor.
They have a crucial place in the countrys food security architecture.
Millets impart greater resilience to the cropping systems against climate risk in
traditional millet-growing areas.
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Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) have been beyond the reach of most of the farmers
growing pulses or millets, and there has been no system of public procurement of
these crops.
The recent experience of States like Madhya Pradesh is useful in organising
decentralised procurement of pulses and millets in those rainfed States where they
constitute a major share of the cropped area.
Such procurement of local foodgrain, feeding into programmes providing
supplementary nutrition like the Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) and Integrated
Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme, can be effective in reducing pervasive
under nutrition among children, adolescent girls and pregnant women in India .
Critically examine the factors which influence agricultural productivity in India.

To what extent does increasing investment in agriculture promote agricultural
growth and socio economic development of rural folk in India.
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
General studies 3:
Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their
effects on industrial growth.
Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways, etc.
Auto components: growth through innovation and competitiveness
The vibrant automotive industry in India produced over 25 million vehicles (twowheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers) in 2015, of which nearly three million
were exported.
The bedrock for this large-scale production has been the automotive components
suppliers that now represent over 5% of the manufacturing gross domestic product
(GDP) of India and employ over one million people.
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Strong performance, significant growth potential:
Over the last decade, the automotive components industry has scaled three times to
$40 billion in 2015 while exports have grown even faster to $11 billion.
This has been driven by strong growth in the domestic market and increasing
globalisation (including exports) of several Indian suppliers.
However, there is room for growthIndian exports still form only 1% of global
automotive components exports.
Investments are the key:
Indeed, the industry has the potential to grow five-fold from $40 billion in 2015 to
$180-200 billion in size by 2026, and could reach 10% of Indias manufacturing GDP.
To achieve this potential, the automotive components industry will need to attract
$80-100 billion worth of investments and ensure skill development of the existing
talent pool.
Raising competitiveness and driving innovation:
Indias manufacturing sector is still not operating at its potential.

Across two key measures of the share of manufacturing in GDP (India at 13%, China
at 33%) and share of exports in manufacturing (India at 23%, China at 40%), there is
significant room for growth.
The automotive components sector could become one of the torch-bearers of the
Make in India campaign by raising its competitiveness and driving vigorous
innovation.
Raising competitiveness will need growth in scale of the automotive suppliers

across the tiers in India, and pursuing the next wave of cost excellence. Embracing
advances in digital manufacturing to transform productivity and quality will also
offer gains.
Driving innovation will involve suppliers collaborating with the vehicle makers to
design and develop new components and systems at uniquely lower price points,
in turn enabling vehicle makers to enrich vehicles with greater functionality.
Economic profit: An important indicator
One of the key measures that signals competitiveness of a company or a sector is

the economic profit it is able to generate.
Economic profit is a measure of the surplus a company has generated after repaying
its cost of capital, and captures well the dual aspects of a companys strength in the
market and that of its operations.
Across 20072014, among the top 100 automotive components suppliers in India,
only one-third of the companies generated economic profit.
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In fact, the automotive components sector lies in the mid zone of economic profit
generation when compared to other sectors of the Indian manufacturing sector in
general.
Indian automotive components players need to generate substantially greater
economic profit to match peers from China, Germany, US and South Korea.
These countries with high economic profit generation signal their higher
competitiveness that enabled them to attract over two-thirds of global investments
in the last five years.
Enabling trade policy and ease of doing business:
India could explore strategic trade agreements with export markets where Indialike vehicles are in demand (for example, Nigeria, South Africa, Mexico, Colombia,
Iran and Russia) towards growing the exports of Indian vehicles and automotive
components manufacturers.
The ease of doing business is critical to attract investments into the manufacturing
sector.
Based on the World Banks 10 themes for the ease of doing business, India ranked
among the top 40 nations in the world in terms of investor protection and
availability of credit.
However, it needs to substantially improve on the ease of starting a business, dealing
with construction permits and enforcing contracts.
The push by the government under the Make in India movement could be vital in
creating the platform for attracting substantial investments needed to help the
automotive components sector achieve its potential.
Way ahead:
Notwithstanding the recent slowdown in the key automotive market segments in

India, the auto components sector has the unique opportunity to sustain its growth
trajectory by rapidly growing its export footprint while scaling its capacity to serve
the domestic market that will return to its growing ways.
However, achieving this will require the automotive components makers to further
raise their competitiveness and drive vigorous innovation in products and
processes.
Critically examine the performance of India in the recently released World Banks
Ease of Doing Business and explain the measures taken by the government to
promote Indias performance in Ease of Doing Business.
Critically examine the reasons for low manufacturing base in India along with the
measures taken by the government to promote manufacturing sector in India.
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effect on industrial growth.
Distress amongst Indian factories

Background:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its December 2015 Financial Stability Report noted
that sectors including iron and steel, mining, infrastructure, textiles and aviation
accounted for the majority (53%) of scheduled commercial banks total stressed
advances.
The recently released Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) shows that the distress in
these sectors has resulted in slower wage growth, lower output and higher interest
outgo at the factory level.
What are the different Segments which are under distress?
Metals segment consisted of basic metals and those involved in the manufacture of
fabricated metal products, excluding machinery and equipment.
Mining, commodities such as coke and refined petroleum, industries involved in
other non-metallic mineral products and those classified under other mining and
quarrying activities.
Infrastructure segments such as electrical equipment, machinery and equipment, as
well as entities involved in machinery repair and installation.
Why there is a distress amongst Indian factories?
Sectors such as iron and steel, mining, infrastructure, textiles and aviation accounted
for the majority (53%) of scheduled commercial banks total stressed advances.
Chances of becoming Non-performing assets are more.
The biggest issue is lack of domestic demand for the output of the factories.
Threat of Chinese imports.
There has been a slowdown in demand and debt has become costlier
What is the outcome of such distress amongst industries?
Workers in the distressed industries showed slower wage growth than the industry
at large.
The reason for slower wage growth can perhaps be seen in the fact that their
interest expense has risen faster than all industries put together.
Output has grown at a slower pace.
Interest paid as a proportion of total output worsened most for government
enterprises.
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What is the larger impact of such distress?
Industries such as Iron and steel, Coal , Crude oil , Manufacturing form part of 8 core
industries under Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
IIP shows that outlook for the sectors is not bright in the short term.
What is IIP?
The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index for India which details out the
growth of various sectors in an economy such as mining, electricity and
manufacturing.
The all India IIP is a composite indicator that measures the short-term changes in the
volume of production of a basket of industrial products during a given period with
respect to that in a chosen base period.
It is compiled and published monthly by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO).
It shows activity of different sectors in the economy.
It does not show volume of activity and only shows the magnitude which represents
the status of production in the industrial sector for a given period of time as
compared to a reference period of time.
Way ahead:
Government needs to increase credit to small scale industries, and look at providing
incentives related to infrastructure, land and labour laws.
Can credit given to small scale industries by Government act as de-stressing factor
addressing the distress amongst Indian Industries? Comment.
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
General studies 3:
Agriculture & related issues; Subsidies
Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact
assessment.
Neem-coated truth: Urea policy isn't a game-changer
January, 2015: The government made it mandatory for urea manufacturers to produce
neem-coated urea up to a minimum of 75 per cent of their total production of subsidised
urea, from 35 per cent earlier, and allowed them to go up to 100 per cent
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Intended Benefits
Increases crop yields (Better yield)

Lowers input cost to farmers
Reduces imports of precious fertilisers as well as reduce ground and soil pollution
Neem coated urea is costly by 5% compared to plain prilled urea but it reduces
nitrogen loss by more than 10%, thereby incurring a net savings of Rs 13.5 per bag
for farmers
Due to higher nitrogen use efficiency, the use of nitrogen coated urea can also
eliminate import of urea resulting in huge foreign exchange savings
Less pest attack due to less use of urea which will also ensure better NPK use ratio
and balanced use of fertilisers
Farmers income would increase with the help of neem-coated urea as productivity
would increase with less usage of urea
Higher usage of neem-coated urea would check diversion of urea for industrial use
Properties to check Nitrogen-Loss
When ordinary urea is applied, it gets converted to ammonium carbamate

Some of this gets converted to ammonia gas in what is called ammonia
volatilisation and about 8-10 per cent nitrogen is lost during volatilisation, which
is more pronounced in alkaline soils like that of India
The rest of the ammonium carbamate undergoes chemical transformation and
nitrates are formed.
Some of these are absorbed by the plants and the rest are either leached into the
underground water or are denitrified to gaseous nitrogen and nitrous oxide
under anaerobic conditions (absence of oxygen).
Neem has properties that check nitrogen loss at each stage it slows down the process
of nitrate formation and hence excess nitrate is not available for denitrification
Let us consider the additional concerns
When farmers use conventional urea, about half the applied nitrogen are not
assimilated by the plant and leaches into the soil, causing extensive groundwater
contamination
Spraying urea with neem oil slows the release of nitrogen, by about 10 to 15 per
cent, concomitantly reducing consumption of the fertiliser
A research finding suggests that the "sustained release" nature of neem-coated urea
has seen rice yields jump 9.6 per cent and wheat by 6.9 per cent
The neem-coating also precludes an age-old malpractice of this cheap fertiliser being
diverted for use in the chemical industry and, most harmfully in states like Punjab
and Haryana, as an additive in milk to whiten it.
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More Premiums: The government has also allowed manufacturers to charge a small
5 per cent premium on neem-coated urea, which works out to roughly Rs 14 more
on a Rs 50 kg bag.
Is it too early to judge?

The answer maybe yes if we are to assess the agronomic efficiency accurately as it is set
against the enormous challenges confronting the fertiliser industry and constraints on the
government's budget
SubsidiesPaid on the three major fertilisers, N, phosphatic (P) and potassic (K); Plus the
heaviest subsidy paid on urea, on account of political pressures
Assured benefits, Doubtful Impact
Government is finding increasingly difficult to sustain the fertiliser subsidyThe Budget
Estimate for the subsidy for the current financial year (that is, 2015-16), for instance, is Rs
71,969 crore. But this amount is misleading because it masks the fact that the year started
with aRs 40,000 crore arrears from the previous year
Fertiliser Association of India (FAI)
Budget allocations get exhausted in [the] first five months of the financial year due
to gross under-budgeting for [the] fertiliser subsidy in the successive Union Budgets.
The year ends with carry forward of huge amount of unpaid subsidy bills which has
been of the order of Rs 30-40,000 crores for the past three years
Break-upRs 7,000 crore Towards repaying bank loans for the previous year
The Irony of the Subsidy Policy

Administered pricing policy and the government's increasing inability to afford the Subsidy
1. The government is unable to reimburse manufacturers on time and that leads to a
situation of borrowing
FAI
Their average outstanding on a regular basis has resulted in additional annual
interest burden of about Rs 3,500 crore for the industry
Plus no margins are available under the subsidy pricing regime and most of
the companies are incurring losses on account of this additional cost of
borrowing
Effects: Discouraged Investment in new Urea Plants; government is thus forced
to import to make up the shortfall, which is about a quarter of its total urea
requirement - even in a drought year like the 2015-16 kharif season (the
government imported about 7.5 million tonnes between April and January)
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2. The average landed price of imported urea is $300 a tonne, which, at the exchange
rate of $1 = Rs 69.14, is sold to farmers at $77.52 a tonne (all ports have facilities to
spray this imported urea with neem oil). Thus, a large differential in retail prices has
encouraged illegal and unaccounted for cross-border sales to Nepal and Bangladesh
3. The wide price differential between urea and P and K fertiliser- the complex
fertiliser Di-ammonium Phosphate, has discouraged the use of the latter, resulting in
a serious nutrient imbalance in the soil
N:P:K ratio:
2011-2012: 10:4:1 against an ideal 4:2:1
Since then Grown worse (principle agriculturist States)
Solutions:
Allowing the industry to charge market prices and paying farmers a direct subsidy
The opening and efficient operation of Jan Dhan bank accounts
Discuss the challenges faced by India in becoming a urea exporting country.

Is the Fertilizer Policy in a mess? Critically evaluate.
TOPIC:
General studies 3:
Major crops and cropping pattern of the country, Agriculture
Food processing and related industries; Technology in the aid of farmers
Bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
General studies 2:
Agricultural research: The real yellow revolution

Background:
Mustard being rabi crop holds the key for reducing Indias edible oil imports. And
GM technology has a role to play there.
Mustard is Indias largest source of edible oil. Unlike soyabean, which has only 18 per
cent oil content, and groundnut, more than 50 per cent of whose kernels are either
consumed directly or exported, rapeseed/mustard is one crop that is a true oilseed.
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With annual production of around 2.4 million tonnes (mt), mustard accounts for a
quarter of the countrys average edible oil availability of 9.4 mt from indigenous
sources
What is rabi crop?
Rabi crops or Rabi harvest are agricultural crops sown in winter and harvested in the
spring in the South Asia. The term is derived from the Arabic word for "spring",
which is used in the Indian subcontinent, where it is the spring harvest also known as
the "winter crop".
Their main source of water is rainwater that has percolated into the ground; they
require irrigation. A good rain in winter spoils the rabi crops but is good for kharif
crops.
The major rabi crop in India is wheat, followed by barley, mustard, sesame and peas
The rabi season starts with the onset of the north-east monsoon in October
What is yellow revolution?

Yellow revolution refers to sudden increase in the production of edible oil due to the
plantation of Hybrid oil seed like mustard, sesame, etc.
What are the positive prospects of mustard?
Unlike soyabean, which has only 18 per cent oil content, and groundnut, more than
50 per cent of whose kernels are either consumed directly or exported;
rapeseed/mustard is one crop that is a true oilseed.
With annual production of around 2.4 million tonnes (mt), mustard accounts for a
quarter of the countrys average edible oil availability of 9.4 mt from indigenous
sources
The fact that it is a rabi crop with almost 75 per cent area under irrigation as
against barely 25 per cent in groundnut and one per cent for soyabean and having
roughly 40 per cent oil content, makes mustard the most suitable candidate for
ushering in a yellow revolution, similar to what wheat and paddy did for the Green
Revolution.
What needs to be done to increase mustard production?
Breeders have exploited a phenomenon known as heterosis or hybrid vigour

resulting from crossing two genetically dissimilar plant varieties even within the
same species.
The first-generation or F1 offspring from such crosses tend to have yields higher than
what either parent can individually give.
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What are the constraints to increase production?

In mustard, though, there have been two major constraints standing in the way of realising
yield grains from heterosis that can help considerably boost domestic production.
The first is the narrow genetic base of mustard varieties grown in India.
Scientists at the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP) in Delhi
University showed that this problem could be addressed by crossing Indian mustard
cultivars with juncea lines of East European origin like Early Heera and Donskaja.
The combination of the two divergent gene pools enhanced the crossing options; the
resultant F1 progeny were found to exhibit significant heterosis.
The second constraint is more basic, having to do with the absence of a natural
hybridisation system in mustard.
Mustard flowers contain both female (pistil) and male (stamen) reproductive organs,
making the plants largely self-pollinating.
To the extent that the egg cells of one plant cannot be fertilised by the pollen grains
from the stamen of another, it restricts the scope for developing hybrids which, in
crops such as maize, cotton and tomato, is possible through simple emasculation or
physical removal of anthers.
What is the current status of the research?
Team at the CGMCP initially developed a cytoplasmic male-sterile or CMS line of

Pusa Bold Indian mustard.
This line (in which the stamen is sterile and cannot produce viable pollen), crossed
with the East European Early Heera-2 variety (which is male-fertile and hence
capable of pollinating the former), resulted in DMH-1, Indias first ever mustard
hybrid.
Its average seed yield, at 2.6 tonnes per hectare, was a fifth higher than the 2.1-2.2
tonnes for existing best check varieties, including Pusa Bold, Pusa Jaikisan, Varuna,
Rohini and Kranti.
Way ahead:
GM technology will help in developing hybrids with new parental combinations and
incorporating these various quantitative, qualitative and disease resistant traits into them.
Can mustard as an oil seed play role in reduction of country's edible oil imports and
reduce Balance of Payment? Comment.
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What is rabi crop? What are the advantages of mustard as an oil seed over
Sunflower and groundnut? Throw light on how to increase production with the help
of GM technology and to bring in Yellow revolution?
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections by the Centre and State and the
Performance of these schemes; Mechanisms, laws, institutions constituted for
protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections
General studies 3:
Indian Economy and issues relating to mobilization of resources, growth,
effects on industrial growth.
Labour in the 21st century
In spite of labour laws been widely studied for almost a decade and various
recommendations to re-invent/evolve labour laws in the current leg of globalization,
the issues pertaining to welfare of labour and flexibility of the firms to grow in sync
with market conditions for better industrial relations, persists even today.
There have been recommendations by the government to reform labour laws in
India by highlighting the need for flexibility in Indian labour laws that would give
appropriate flexibility to the industry that is essential to compete in international
markets.
But the overall attitude has mainly been towards skill enhancement and focus on
flexible labour markets rather than assessment of
Proper enforcement of the laws
Situation of different categories of employers
Coverage of the social protection system
Three main labour lawsMajor point of debate

1. Industrial Disputes Act (1947),
2. Contract Labour Act (1970)
3. Trade Union Act (1926)
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Constitutionally
Under Article 246 of the Indian constitution, issues related to labour and labour welfare
come under List III that is the Concurrent List
Exceptional matters related to labour and safety in mines and oilfields and industrial
disputes concerning union employees come under Central List
In all there are 47 central labour laws and 200 state labour laws
Indias labour problem

Out of the eight core ILO Conventions against forced labour (slavery)India refuses to
ratify:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
C87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention);

C98 (the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention);
C138 (Minimum Age Convention)
C182 (Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention)
C131, or the Minimum Wage Fixing Convention
The Annual Global Rights Index (by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Rates 141 countries on 97 indicators derived from ILO standards with rating being on a
scale of 1 to 5-plus, based on the degree of respect accorded to workers rights
2015:India had a rating of 5, the second-worst category, thereby denoting no
guarantee of rights
Concerns shouting for Attention

FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and AIOE (All India
Organisation of Employers)
Pointed out that Indias obsession with an archaic labour policy is keeping investors
away, hindering employment growth and making Indian enterprises uncompetitive
It is the multiplicity (44 Central and 100-odd at the State-level) of labour laws that is
pushing workers to the informal sector, as companies seek to circumvent the rigorous
labour policies
ILOlabour market flexibility is as high as 93 per cent in India, meaning that 93 per cent
of Indias workforce anyway do not enjoy the protection of Indias 144 labour laws
Industrys solution to the labour problem: Dilution of these laws so that the mass of
informal workers can be employed formally, but without legal protections
Note: There is no nationwide law that recognizes trade union and also there is no
compulsion for the employers to enter into a collective bargaining so even though there is a
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right to form an association or form a trade union, it is not mandatory for an employer to
recognize it (Anant et al, 2006)
CTUOs& their display of strengthMere Tokenism?
Maybe
In a globalised Indian economy, the centre of gravity has shifted from manufacturing to
services
Even in manufacturing, the advent of global supply chains has meant a mass
informalisation of employment as multinational enterprises break up the production
process and sub-contract to suppliers in different parts of the world
The fatal flawsCTUOs Weaknesses

Political party affiliation: Of the Big Five unions, with a combined claimed membership of
over 79 million with the Party affiliations entailing three things:
a restriction of the CTUOs ability to expand, as it will put off those who do not like its
parent party;
Party interests often trump union/labour interests;
Disunity between the differently-affiliated unions
Leadership: Marked by the bureaucratic mentality of a labour aristocracy; prefer policy

analysis to on-ground organising and have failed to extend their reach to the growing mass
of informal workers
ButUnions are unanimous on two points:
Regularisation of contract workers engaged in perennial work

Equal pay for contract workers performing the same job as permanent workers
(sufficient wages, job security, and worker security)
Counting Challenges
Entry into the IT services sector, marked by little union presence despite demanding work
conditions;
Why
Instant termination of workers involved in unionising activity, creating fear in the minds
of the workers
Mind-set of the worker More payment and good standard of living dont let them
think of themselves as workers
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Aim of the Industry:
to legalise and expand contract labour

to develop in-house unions which will dance to the tunes of the management and stay
away from CTUOs
The core economic issues are varied:
the capital intensity of Indian industry,

the employment elasticity of economic growth,
the exchange rate strategy,
the level of skills on offer in the labour market,
the ease of doing business,
the structural impediments faced by informal enterprises
Employment in the Indian Manufacturing Sector

The fundamental Disconnect
Eighty per cent of Indian manufacturing output comes from enterprises in the formal
sector while a similar proportion of manufacturing employment is generated by
enterprises in the informal sector
Therefore, one set of enterprises accounts for most of the output while another set of
enterprises accounts for most of the employment
Has created a labour aristocracy that seeks to protect its privileges but in effect keeps
the majority of industrial workers trapped in informal enterprises
Therefore, the government needs to
Create conditions that encourage large enterprises to take on more workers while
making it easier for informal enterprises to grow in scale
The inability to create jobs that allows workers to exit the overcrowded farms has to be
taken care of
According to Dr.Rangarajan (2006)
In order to achieve faster growth rate emphasis should be laid on labour intensive
sectors by skill development of the labour force and flexibility of labour laws
Flexibility should not be just related to hire and fire strategy and that business units will
have to function under legitimate restrictions
IASbabas Views:
Challengethe only viable way to break the cycle of distress is through labour-intensive
industrialization, as was done in so many other Asian countries, including China.
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Opportunity
China has begun to make the transition up the value chain by exiting the low-value
manufacturing it dominated for nearly two decades.
Chinese wages are rising, the exchange rate could strengthen and the government wants
to shift the economic model towards a greater dependence on domestic consumer
demand.
India cannot have a more flexible labour market unless the trade unions are taken into
confidence and therefore, a discussion and a proper road ahead need to be charted out by
taking into confidence the major stakeholders of the economy.
In the wake of international competitiveness and the need for flexibility in labour markets, it
becomes increasingly essential to accommodate social security concerns in reform
movements. But the sector is marred with lack of appropriate planning, inappropriate
coverage, the applicability depends on wage ceilings, number of employees in an
establishment, type of establishment, etc. which needs to be taken care of by the
government so that there takes place an interaction with changes in other areas of
industrial regulation so that factory employment begins to rise in tandem with output.
What are the serious impediments that bleak the possibility of a proper labour
framework to be developed for India? Suggest the way ahead
TOPIC:
General studies 2:
Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and
institutions
Statutory, Regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
For a Robust Competition Law- Competition Commission of India (CCI)
Let us talk about insights on measures to make the competition law more effective
A. Upgrading of the institutional capacity
The foremost challenge for the fair-trade regulator is the upgradation of its
institutional capacity, as it takes five to six years for the regulator to mature
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Since 2009, the commission has handled 688 anti-trust cases, and around 370
combination matters; while cracking down on cases of cartelisation (in the case
of cement and airlines companies) as well as abuse of market power (those
involving NSE, DLF, Coal India)the commission has imposed fines worth around
of Rs 14,000 crore over the past seven years, the actual recovery has barely
been around one per cent
Manpower Crunch:
In 2014, according to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the nodal ministry for CCI,
the regulator and Director General (DG)'s office had the strength of 84 and 19, as
against the sanctioned posts of 156 and 41, respectively
This shortage is more acutely felt at DG's office - the investigating arm of the
commission, with each officer handling 10-15 cases encompassing different
sectors, all at once. As a result, there is a huge backlog of cases with it.
Absence of institutional memory: Few permanent staff with most officers

investigating a case being on deputation for three years
Need for the Ministry to comprehensively review the recruitment rules
Recruit or engage domain experts/professionals on a contractual basis with a view to

professionalising the working of the commission and its offices
Employ stricter screening process
B. Need for a strong, effective leniency programme
Cartels are most damaging to consumers and poor evidence collected leads to poor
enforcement of directives most of the time. Therefore, in order to ensure an effective
anti-cartel regime, it is essential to have a strong and robust leniency programme.
There is a case of not only unpredictability and non-incentivisation of the whistleblowers but also the identity of the whistle-blower not being kept protected.
EU- All cartel decisions have emanated from leniency applications; its advantage being
provision of accurate evidence and ensuring a finding of breach. Therefore the CCI must
revisit its leniency programme and follow international best practices.
Huge number of cases has been set aside by the Competition Appellate Tribunal
(COMPAT) for a failure by the CCI to adhere to basic natural justice norms and therefore,
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the CCI must not resort to short cuts disregarding the rights of the defence and should
exercise their rights lawfully.
Need to
The CCI must entertain only those cases where there is a clear competition law
violation
Introduction of additional exemption to help weed out harmless transactions
C. Strike a balance between regulator and judicial forum
Set up in 2003, the commission could not commence enforcement till several years
later due to a combination of
Constitutional challenges in the higher courts,
Prolonged process of amendments to the Competition Act, and
Delay in the notification of its powers by the government
The commission too has to step back and review its journey Some slippages:
Not following the correct procedure for cross-examination,
Not giving proper opportunity to a guilty party to defend and
Lapses in the hearing of arguments
A two-way path that needs to be addressed

Commission- Introspect on remedial measures it needs in its procedures
Judiciary- Reflect on whether all the minute processes and rules of evidence that apply
to courts must equally apply to the commission, which is a regulator, and not a judicial
forum
A balance needs to be struck between the interests of the parties, and the broader
interests of India's markets and consumers
D. Eliminate ad hoc ways and consistently issue well-reasoned orders
It is time for the CCI to focus more critically on its procedures and rights of the
defence to lay the foundation of a strong and robust competition law regime; failure
to do so will result in
Significant decisions being reversed
Hurting the international reputation of the CCI as a fair and just regulator
Giving rise to a waste of valuable resources and time

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To achieve greater efficiency in the Director General's (DG) Office, the CCI should
adopt a two-fold approach
Enhance the capacities of the staff members by imparting adequate training,

inter alia, relating to the rules of cross-examination
Lay down well-defined rules and parameters for conducting 'dawn raids'
(unannounced or surprise raids)
Plus
Improve their evaluation of circumstantial evidence
Improve their assessment of the conduct of alleged violators
Improvement in analysis of practices and framework under operation
CCI must reject complaints that are in fact consumer matters and breach of contract
issues, but are introduced to the CCI under the garb of competition infringement simply
to get around the protracted nature of civil litigation (Real Estate Sector)
Re-think the role of the competition laws in the overlap between IP laws and
competition laws
For achieving the desired objectives, it is necessary to ensure that the regulatory
institutions remain independent and autonomous. Discuss in the light of experiences
in recent past (specifically w.r.t. the CCI-India).
(Mains,2015)
Agriculture & related issues- Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the
country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and
marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology
in the aid of farmers
Government Budgeting.
Is taxing agricultural income at minimal rates a good idea?

The burgeoning farmer distress, despite the various measures and initiatives being taken
and those already taken, still paints a dismal picture of Indias success in this field.
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FinanceThe lending to the underserved by the banks (priority sector lending programme
for more than three decades), has also not reaped much benefits and the JAM-Trinity still
remains largely on a test-based platform. The fact that access to formal finance remains a
challenge even after decades of implementation of such policies demonstrates that such
coercive policies have borne little fruit
Education A large portion of Indian farmers are illiterate or semi-literate and no
maintenance of systematic books of accounts regarding their:
production and income,

assessing their true income
Income-earning potential, takes place
This in turn leads to issues for the bank loan officers as most of them rely on informal
networks created by social affiliations to gain information about the borrowers. Thus,
only those borrowers who are connected to the loan officers obtain optimal credit.
The rotation of loan officers every three years ends in making matters worse from a
borrowers point of view as
A new loan officer would then again take time to get accustomed to the people and
the ground-reality of the particular place
A research has also shown that a new loan officer entering a branch after job
rotation restricts credit to borrowers who borrowed from the previous loan officer
Taxing Agricultural Income:
Has the potential to improve access to finance to a large section of farmers because
verified income tax returns can provide a credible signal of the earnings potential of a
farmer
Verifiable information- Helps separate conscientious and productive farmers from the
unscrupulous or unproductive farmers, which in turn, will be very useful in enabling
access to finance as well as enter the cost of credit borne by farmers
For example (LiveMint):
Suppose a loan officer has Rs.100 to lend. Suppose there is a good farmer whose
expected revenue for a Rs.100 investment is Rs.125. Also consider that in the same
village, there is a bad farmer whose expected revenue for the same investment is Rs.75.
Clearly, the bad farmer is better off doing something else other than farming, such as
working as a security guard or a factory worker.
Factors owing to the differences in farmer productivityDifferences in talent,
motivation, quality of land, cultivation methods used, training received, etc.
The bad farmer could also be a strategic defaulter intending to exploit the lax
enforcement standards prevalent in the country. In an ideal world, the loan officer
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would possess the ability to distinguish the good farmer from the bad one. In this ideal
scenario, the loan officer can lend Rs.100 to the good farmer and none to the bad
farmer.
The case Higher productivity of the farmer +well-directed agricultural loans
Enhancement of agricultural productivity + Hastening of the movement of
unproductive agricultural workers to the manufacturing sector
Indian agricultureBecomes difficult for the loan officers to differentiate between the
good and the bad farmers where a genuine farmer may be starved off the funds and the
defaulter farmer easily obtains credit
Consequences
Low agricultural productivity,

High default rates on agricultural loans leading to farmer distress
Lack of mobility from agriculture to other sectors
Here comes the Income Tax Returns

Let both the farmers (Genuine + Defaulter) file income tax returns every year
GF: Presents his income tax return to the loan officer in order to demonstrate his earning
potential
Case of small farmers (G)- Income tax returns can provide a reasonably credible measure of
earnings potential because they would neither have the high income nor the incentives to
hide such high levels of income
Signal of earnings potential- Credible because declaring higher income results in payment
of higher taxes and hence is costly to the farmer
Loan officer-Uses the credible basis to distinguish between the borrowers
Borrower (G)
They can easily move from bank to bank and need not depend upon a particular loan
officer as well
Improves the bargaining power of the borrowers by enabling them to tap multiple
sources for financing
IASbabas Views:
The concern regarding the range of benefits to the bigger and the smaller farmers can
be put to rest with the argument that big farmers are less likely to be credit-restrained
but for the small farmers it becomes imperative to be distinguished and be recognised
as a genuine farmer for the credit to flow.
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Economically, it might not create much of a difference but in the longer run it does carry
the promise of bringing in more substantial returns for the small farmers. (Jaanhai to
jahaanhai funda) Taxing them at minimal rate of about 5% can be the way ahead.
PMJDY has been touted as one of the torchbearers in curbing the gap that the
present-day government seeks to fill. What are the challenges that a scheme like this
encounter in an economy likes India?
Even when the farm sector remains a major employer of the countrys total
workforce, all efforts from the governments end to tackle the current slide have
failed. Critically examine the causes and suggest a road ahead for the same.
TOPIC:
General Studies 3:
Inclusive growth and issues arising from it; Banking; Taxation
General Studies 2:
issues arising out of their design and implementation; Governance
Transforming India into a cashless economy
Government has been contemplating on having RBI on board with its idea of going cashless
by enabling more free ATM transactions.
When we view the argument with a balanced outlook; at one hand we do see that
this move will definitely cost bank less than encashment at the bank branch but at
the same time, it does reduce the cash flow in the economy.
Also, while India is still clueless about the black intention of some of her fellow
countrymen and their black money stashed at an unknown place (or rather
known)this cashless transaction can go a long way in making the very same people
accountable for their spendings as well as savings (additional sales tax, service tax
and other forms of tax collections)
Incentivising Cashless Transactions

Seller of goodsYou got a lot to lose?
Now, if the seller of goods accepts a debit card He will have to
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Pay a merchant discount rate (varying from 0.75 per cent to 1 per cent)- eating up
his margin comfortably
Since each transaction would be accounted for- he is liable to be taxed
For example, if a sales tax concession is offered for such point-of-sale payments to
go electronic, then the shopkeeper would not be motivated hed much rather
save the entire tax than claim a small indirect tax rebate for supporting the cashless
drive
Is there any solution to buffer the loss?

Providing a small incentive to the taxpayer to use his card or his mobile
For example, the government could grant a 5 per cent income tax rebate for
taxpayers who make more than 85 per cent of their payments in cashless mode
What happens nextThe required percentage of cashless transactions for
rebate eligibility could be even higher for very high income groups
To claim the rebateA routine bank statement/certificate stating percentage of
cash debits separately while personal banking statements usually show interest
income accrued and tax payable/deducted (no extra burden)
Loss to the exchequer?

Department of Revenues website:
Rs. 1.71 lakh crore was collected as personal income tax in 2011-12, registering an
average compound annual growth rate of 14.81 per cent for the period between
2006-07 and 2011-12.
Estimated collection in 2015-16: Rs. 2.96 lakh crore (Same growth rate applied)
If Government chooses to pay 5 per cent rebate and 25 per cent of taxpayers
qualifyPayout is still only Rs. 3,700 crore
Total cost for ATM operations Roughly around Rs. 18,000 crore
Shift to cashless transactions:
Reduction of ATM transactions byjust 25 per cent Savings of the banking sector would be
around Rs. 4,500 crore in ATM costs
Plus
1 per cent resultant increase in sales tax/value-added tax revenues across States: Rs. 4,400plus crore
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IASbabas Views:
Incentivising electronic transactions with income tax rebates instead of sales tax
rebates will push India more towards a cashless economy and hopefully, the savings
of the affluent would get effectively channelized for establishing an operating
infrastructure in rural areas- for accepting electronic payments and providing cashout facilities
There does exist a need for a real comparison of debit card usage at ATMs and in
electronic transactions and direct policy moves to be made out suitably- to
transform the economy into a web of effective infrastructure for direct benefit
transfers and financial inclusion.
With a series of well-coordinated policy changes to suit the new air, the revenue
and productivity of the economy might get a positive boost-up.
Is a cashless economy directly related to a developed economy? Critically examine.
TOPIC:
General Studies 3:

Government Budgeting
Infrastructure: Railways
Rail Budget 2016: A balance between growth, operation efficiency

The Railway Budget 2016 focuses on commissioning the unfinished/existing projects rather
than new trains. Efforts to reorganise restructure and rejuvenate railways is the main
highlight of this years railway budget.
The key themes of the Budget were in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiatives Swachch Bharat Mission, Make in India and Digital India.
The most-expected part about this year's Railway Budget - there is no increase in
passenger rail fares. Subdued passenger traffic and restricted growth in freight (due
to increasing competition from road transport on lower fuel prices) have curbed the
ability to implement a fare hike.
Rs.8.5 lakh crore will be invested in Railways in next 5 years.
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'Operation 5 mins', wherein passengers travelling unreserved can purchase a ticket

in 5 minutes.
Bio toilets and airplane-type vacuum toilets in trains.
Surveillance cameras in select coaches and ladies compartments for women's safety
without compromising on privacy.
Rail tickets can now be booked 120 days in advance.
Budget projected a 10.1 per cent rise in the Railways' gross traffic receipts to Rs
184,819 crore in 2016
Speed on nine railway corridors to go up to 200 km per hour.
Wi-Fi in more stations, mobile phone charging facilities in all train compartments.
Facility of online booking of wheelchair for senior citizens.
Satellite railway terminals in major cities.
Centrally managed Rail Display Network is expected to be introduced in over 2K
stations over the next 2 years.
All India 24/7 helpline - 138 from March 2015 ; Toll free No.182 for security.
917 road under-bridges and over-bridges to be constructed to replace 3,438 railway
crossings; at a cost of Rs. 6,581 crore.
Four Railway Research Centers to start in four universities.
While provision of baby foods and hot milk on stations and conversion of station
walls into murals are indeed progressive steps
Clean my coach service through SMS
Rail mitra sewa and Divyang to help old and disabled passengers
Porters to be called SAHAYAKS, not coolies anymore. Sahayaks will be provided with
uniforms and trained in soft skills
Ticketing: Automated ticket vending machines; mobike apps; GOINDIA SMART CARD
for cashless ticket purchase; Bar coded tickets etc
Recent initiatives:
These initiatives include expanding into newer commodity categories (10

commodities account for 88 per cent of the Railways' freight at the moment),
rationalization of the tariff structure, construction of terminal capacity and
"nurturing customers" which will involve appointing relationship managers for key
stakeholders.
Reorganizing the all-powerful Railway Board along business lines and suitably
empowering its chairman. There is a proposal to set up a Railway Planning &
Investment Corporation to draft medium- (five years) and long-term (10 years)
corporate plans.
Steps to enhance consumer experience which included more options for un-reserved
travel, ticketing machines and FM radio on train.
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Further, the operating ratio (expenses as a percentage of revenue) pegged at 90 per

cent in FY16 is an improvement over FY15's ratio, but is still short of the target of
88.5 per cent. Hence, doubts linger on whether the target of 92 per cent (including
seventh central pay commission impact) for FY17 will be achieved without a fare
hike.
Superfast trains: will showcase the future of train travel in India
Humsafar: will be fully air-conditioned third AC service with an optional service for
meals
Tejas and Uday are superfast trains meant to topple the Rajdhanis and the Shatabdis
in being the best value proposition on Indian Railways.
They will run at speeds of 130 kmph and above with onboard services such as
entertainment, local cuisine, WiFi through one service provider for ensuring
accountability and improved customer satisfaction.
UDAY, short for Utkrisht Double-Decker Air-conditioned Yatri Express will be
double decker overnighters on the busiest routes, which run with 40 per cent more
carrying capacity than conventional trains.
Focus areas:
Gross traffic receipts fell by 8.6% from the budgeted estimates. Freight earnings
the breadwinner of Indian Railwaysdeclined by almost 8% on account of low
demand from the core sector. The budgeted estimates for the next year bank on a
healthier growth in the core sector of economy and hence can be equally charged
with over-optimism.
The reason was simple: an under-utilization ofRs.16,000 crore. As a result, the
budgetary support this year has been slashed toRs.34,220 crore from Rs.40,000
crore last year. The deficit in expenditure in this instance was compensated by
increased investments through partnerships.
Passenger earnings growth pegged at 12.4%; earnings target at ~51,012 cr.
Additional berths, women- & children-friendly coaches, bio-toilets, long-route trains
for unreserved passengers; elevated sub-urban corridors and new freight corridors.
Institutional funding, PPPs, freight revenue to push investment, make the Railways
self-sustainable
The operating ratio target of 88.5% set last year remains unachieved; the revised
estimates come to a figure of around 90%. The lower the operating ratiothe ratio
of working expenses to gross earningsthe better it is as it leaves more resources
for capital expenditure. With the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission
recommendations, the revenue expenditure will shoot up considerably and Budget
has been realistic in keeping the operating ratio target at a higher level of 92% for
the next fiscal.
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What is the strategy outlined transforming Indian Railways into a first-rate service
provider?
1. Objective of transforming Indian Railways into a first-rate service provider while
growing into a customer-friendly organization is done with the help of three pillars of
strategy:
a) New revenues (monetizing all possible sources of revenue);
b) New norms (incorporating best international practices including, most
importantly, a zero-based budgeting approach); and
c) New structures (revisiting all process and organizational structures).
2. Providing optional insurance to passengers:
That it will be a much-need security for rail passengers. Insurers expect the
premium, for both accident and loss of baggage, to be fixed at a nominal price.
The most important aspect is how these insurance policies will be made available to
people as there are two places from where travellers buy insurance i.e. online or at
the window
This will be a personal accident (PA) cover for death and disability. And we expect
the pricing to be along the lines of the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana a PA
policy that Indians can purchase for a premium as low as Rs 12. It could of course
be much lower given that the Pradhan Mantri's scheme gives coverage for a year and
the current travel insurance plan proposed by the rail ministry would be only for the
duration of travel
What are the differences between 2015 and 2016 budgets?
The thrust of the 2015 railway budget was to make the Indian Railways (IR) a prime
mover of the economy.
The emphasis was on removing operational bottlenecks and consolidating
infrastructure development to decongest saturated routes and, thus, reduce the
logistics component of product costs, which, in India, are among the highest in the
world.
This years budget was full of generalizations and nothing specific was spelled out in
this thrust area
The Operating Ratio has increased from 88.5 per cent last year to 92 per cent in this
years budget which is a sign of fiscal mismanagement. Capital expenditure has been
increased to 1.21 lakh crore this year which would be a further strain on the finances
of the railways
Last years performance has been much below the anticipated earnings by the
railways. Both freight and passenger earnings have significantly dropped and the gap
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between the budgetary estimates and the revised estimates of railway revenue is
around a massive Rs 17,000 crore Further, the Railways require around Rs. 32,000
crore to fulfil the obligations and recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. This
means that the Railways are starting the financial year with a shortfall of nearly Rs
50,000 crore.
If the 2015 budget was the apogee of farsightedness, 2016 is an apology for having
developed cataract
Addressing thrust areas: Need of the hour
Our freight rates, among the highest in the world, make our products uncompetitive.
Over the years, these high freight rates have diverted railway traffic to roads.
There is need to address the worrying decline in modal share of freight traffic by
expanding the freight basket, rationalizing the tariff structure and building terminal
capacity.
The Railways has been losing market share to road haulage due to ever increasing
freight rates as well as infrastructure bottlenecks that have reduced average freight
train speeds to around 25 kmph, one of the slowest in the world.
The creation of dedicated freight corridors and the increased focus on
containerization will help the Railways move away from overdependence on low
yield bulk cargo (currently, just 10 commodities account for 80 per cent of the freight
hauled by the Railways) and speed up transit times, enabling it to compete better
with road transport
In fact, discounting for the fuel component in freight charges, the rates should have
been reduced this year.
Passenger fares do not add much to the revenue but keeping them stagnant is also
not good in the long run. A marginal increase was, perhaps, called for.
Finances can be improved only by increasing the volume of traffic and tilting the
scales in the IRs favor.
There is a need to improve average speeds of trains. Most tracks and rolling stock
are already fit for speeds above 100 kmph for passenger services and above 75 kmph
for goods services. However, average speeds of passenger services are around 40-50
kmph and those of freight 20-25 kmph. This is because we dont have the capacity to
run them at optimum speed. Increasing capacity by doubling/ quadrupling lines
would in itself improve speeds. This has to be the thrust area.
But do we need all this right now? When the Indian Railways is bankrupt?
The issue is not technology. It is priority and timing.

Technology for technologys sake is not what an organization dealing with logistics
should opt for.
Where will we run coaches at 200 kmph when even the existing sectional speed is
not being achieved? Till we dont have the capacity to run, buying such technology is
like buying a Ferrari for Chandni Chowk.
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Way ahead
With the Railways worried about a continuous decline in its freight traffic, four measures
have been announced.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Expanding the basket of items carried,

Rationalizing of rates,
Signing of long-term contracts and
Building terminal capacity.
Railway Budget was customer-centric, both for passengers and industry. It is seeking
to enhance the competitiveness of the railways for goods traffic through
announcements of review of the freight tariff structure and direct long-term freight
negotiations with key partners. It is a win-win for industry and the railways
The huge investments in technology and railway infrastructure are moves with
positive intent, despite the disappointing overall revenue growth. However, the real
test would be the implementation strategy and the commercial framework for
executing the announced plan
After all, its competition and accountabilityand not some band-aid applied by the
government of the daythat will ease financial distress at Indian Railways.
A competitive tariff structure for freight trains is urgently required to arrest the slide
of traffic to roads. This should go hand in hand with the steady elimination of crosssubsidy from freight to passenger segment of the business. An appropriate road map
to achieve this could have been laid out. That would have made a perfect rail budget
statement for 2016-17
If the 2015 budget was the apogee of farsightedness, 2016 is an apology for having
developed cataract. Comment
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Government Budgeting.
Economic Survey 2016-17: A snapshot

Background:
Painting an optimistic picture of the economy despite the grim prospects for global
growth, this years Economic Survey sees India getting on to the 8-10 per cent GDP
growth trajectory over the next few years.
To realise this potential Centre needs to address, three critical issues the
transition from socialism to marketism, which the Indian economy struggles with;
expand investment in people (health and education); and sharpen the focus on
agriculture.
India recording GDP growth in excess of 7 per cent for the third straight year in a row
in 2016-17.India grew 7.2 per cent in 2014-15 and 7.6 per cent (advance estimate) in
2015-16.
There is still the promise of India due to accelerated structural reforms, competitive
federalism (among) States and good economics becoming good politics all over India
STATE OF THE ECONOMY
FY17 GDP expected to be in the range of 7-7.75%. Current year's at 7.6%

Stick to fiscal consolidation path But need to revisit medium-term fiscal policy
framework
Farm prices and trade policies need to account that India is a big market for the
world
Twin balance sheet problem - banking stress and that of the corporate sector
hampering economy
FISCAL DEFICIT
2016-17 expected to be challenging from fiscal point of view; time is right for a
review of medium-term fiscal framework
2015-16 fiscal deficit, seen at 3.9 per cent of GDP, seems achievable
Credibility and optimality argue for adhering to 3.5 per cent of GDP fiscal deficit
target
PUBLIC FINANCE
Remove tax incentives for small savings, as mostly the rich benefit from them
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Impose tax on gold since it is hoarded by the rich

Rs 1-lakh-crore subsidy going to the rich from the government
Fast-growth years for GDP have led to larger inequality in India; need for measures
like wider property tax in the context of smart cities
Only four per cent of Indians pay income tax; this has to rise to about 23 per cent
PRICES & MONETARY MANAGEMENT
Benefits of low global oil prices transient

El Nio effect on agriculture to continue for some more time
Crop-wise yields in India compared to the world are low for rice, wheat and pulses
Need to shift to demand-driven agri-extension services
Food not the only reason for low transmission of rate cuts by RBI
INFLATION
CPI inflation seen around 4.5 to 5% in 2016/17

Low inflation has taken hold, confidence in price stability has improved
Expect RBI to meet 5 percent inflation target by March 2017
Prospect of lower oil prices over medium term likely to dampen inflationary
expectations
Low inflation has taken hold, confidence in price stability has improved
Slack in the private sector labor market and capacity underutilization in industry
mean that higher public sector wages would not be transmitted across the rest of
the economy
Continuing moderation in oil prices, a return to normal monsoons, and persistent
below-potential output also led to the Survey's conclusion that consumer price
inflation would be between 4.5 and five per cent in 2016-17, well within the RBI's
target.
CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT
2016/17 current account deficit seen around 1-1.5% of GDP
CURRENCY
Rupee's value must be fair, avoiding strengthening; fair value can be achieved
through monetary relaxation
India needs to prepare itself for a major currency readjustment in Asia in wake of a
similar adjustment in China
Gradual depreciation in rupee can be allowed if capital inflows are weak
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TAXES
Proposes widening tax net from 5.5% of earning individuals to more than 20%
Tax revenue expected to be higher than budgeted levels in FY15/16
Easiest way to widen the tax base would be not to raise exemption thresholds
Favors review and phasing out of tax exemptions
BANKING & CORPORATE SECTOR
Estimated capital requirement for banks likely around Rs 1.8 trillion by 2018/19
Corporate, bank balance sheets remain stretched, affecting prospects for reviving
private investments
Underlying stressed assets in corporate sector must be sold or rehabilitated
Govt could sell off certain non financial companies to infuse capital in state-run
banks
Govt proposes to make available 700 bln rupees via budgetary allocations during
current, succeeding years in banks
Banks' gross non-performing advances (GNPA) as a proportion of gross advances
increased to 5.1 per cent between March and September 2015, from 4.6 per cent.
Restructured standard advances as a proportion of gross advances declined to 6.2
per cent from 6.4 per cent in the period, while the stressed advances to total gross
advances ratio increased to 11.3 from 11.1.
PSBs had the highest level of stressed assets (gross plus restructured) at 14 per cent
of the total, followed by private sector banks (PVBs) at 4.6 per cent and foreign
banks (FBs) at 3.4 per cent at end-September 2015.
Net non-performing advances (NNPA) as a proportion of total net advances for all
scheduled commercial banks increased to 2.8 per cent from March to September
2015, from 2.5 per cent.
The contribution of five sub-sectors mining, iron and steel, textiles,
infrastructure and aviation to the total of stressed advances was 53 per cent.
Stressed advances in the aviation sector increased to 61 per cent in June 2015 from
58.9 per cent in March. That of the infrastructure sector increased to 24 per cent,
from 22.9 per cent.
The performance of these sectors and their impact on the asset quality of banks
continue to be a cause for concern.
Trade:
The Survey also had particularly pointed recommendations about the direction of
India's trade policy, saying "introspection is overdue" on issues including its
continued support to farmers that are controversial at the World Trade
Organization.
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The Survey concludes India should "resist calls to seek recourse in protectionist
measures, especially in relation to items that could undermine the competitiveness
of downstream firms".
The Centre has recently imposed price controls on the import of steel, which auto
firms have protested.
Reforms inclined towards rich: Bounties for the Well-off
The survey makes a case for unpopular reforms, such as bringing agricultural
incomes in the tax net, rationalisation of fertiliser subsidies estimated at Rs. 75,000
crore (excluding arrears) and the withdrawal of tax benefits which benefit mainly the
rich.
Restricting the cooking gas subsidy to 10 cylinders from 12 at present, raising the
levels of property tax and desisting from raising the income tax threshold. This needs
to be done while taxes and duties on domestic and commercial LPG users are aligned
Venturing into the politically sensitive issue of fertilizer subsidy, whose beneficiaries
are ostensibly poor farmers, survey points to three forms of leakages and lacunae:
black marketeering, inability of small farmers to derive full benefits, and inefficiency
of fertilizer manufacture.
The report identified seven areas small savings schemes, kerosene, railways,
electricity, LPG, gold and aviation turbine fuel where the benefits of subsidies
accrue largely to the well-off, defined as the top 70 per cent of the population
based on expenditure distribution as per National Sample Survey data.
Reducing subsidies in these areas would do good not only from a fiscal and welfare
perspective, but also from a political economy welfare perspective, and lend
credibility to other market-oriented reforms
Strengthening the state by improving fiscal relations between the rich and the
poor is one of the two main messages of the Budget,
Challenges ahead:
Raising pay for government employees as per 7th pay commission

Bail out banks without increasing borrowing.
Challenge of creating good jobs is proving difficult
Too many regulations have harmed job creation - worker-centric rule needed
Competitive federalism is needed to reduce bottlenecks in clearances
Transparency and simplicity needed in power rates
Easier power supply to encourage 'Make in India'
Disappointments:
Failure to pass a goods and services tax, underperformance on disinvestment and

privatization,
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Incomplete rationalization of subsidies

Stressed balance sheets of banks and private companies.
Need of the hour:
Improved investments in education and health, where India fares the worst among
BRICS nations and adequate attention to agriculture could realise the potential.
In the wake of four seasons of weak rainfall and consequent adversity, agriculture
has served a wake-up call, demanding attention from policy makers.
In the unfinished agenda, the Goods and Services Tax, strategic disinvestment, destressing of the balance sheet of both banks and private companies, and the
rationalisation of subsidies.
Stretched corporate and bank balance sheets are affecting prospects for reviving
private investments, and so the underlying stressed assets must be sold or
rehabilitated.
Aggressive disinvestment and subsidy reforms would have released resources for
much-needed public capital expenditures to counter weak external demand and
crowd-in private investments.
The Survey examines the problem of "exit" - Chakravyuh Challenge of Economy:
The Survey has likened the Indian economy in the 21st century to the 'Chakravyuh'
legend of Mahabharata - the ability to enter but not exit - cautioning the country is
facing adverse consequences due to the lack of a way out for failed ventures
Just as a market economy requires unrestricted entry of new firms, new ideas and
new technologies, it also requires an exit route so that resources are forced or
enticed away from inefficient and unsustainable uses
Stressed corporate and bank balance sheets were partly because it was difficult for
capital to exit enterprises or investments that had turned unprofitable.
As a consequence, India was littered with firms that were too small and
unproductive, taking up scarce resources more efficiently allocated elsewhere.
In addition to the proposed bankruptcy law, the Survey argues for independent
sector regulators and ending resistance to privatization by sharing the resources
freed up with affected employees.
The underlying stressed assets in the corporate sector must be sold or rehabilitated.
Future incentives for the private sector must be set right, to avoid a repetition.
Decanalising urea imports:
According to the Survey, this would increase the number of importers, allow greater
freedom in import decision and allow supply to respond flexibly and quickly to
changes in demand.
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The Survey also recommends bringing urea under the nutrient-based subsidy
programme, which would allow domestic producers to continue receiving fixed
subsidies based on the nutritional content of their fertilizer.
Spreading the JAM
The Survey also recommends expanding the coverage for JAM (Jan Dhan Aadhaar
Mobile) as in the case of the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme for LPG, since the Centre
controls the fertilizer supply chain.
However, the Survey points out that targeting the poor are difficult at the best of
times. It therefore suggested a cap on the number of subsidized bags that each
household could purchase, with biometric authentication at the point of sale.
What is the difference between 2014-15 and 2016-17 economic survey?
The 2014-15 Economic Survey had introduced the "JAM" acronym - standing for JanDhan, Aadhaar and mobiles - to better target welfare spending. this year's Survey
has given importance towards 'Spreading JAM Across the Economy'
This year's Survey takes the idea further, saying that direct benefit transfers (DBT) in
household liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders had worked in reducing leakage - and
arguing that because of close central control on spending the fertiliser subsidy
should be the next target for such transfers, and that the fertilizer sector was
overdue for reform.
The 2015-16 survey, by contrast, emphasizes the need for a recalibration of
expectations and making conditional assessments of the economys performance
over the coming year. The main reason for this is an unusually challenging and weak
external environment.
But external factors apart, there is also an admission of internal political failure to
push reforms: Approval for the game-changing GST bills has proved elusive so far;
the disinvestment programme fell short of targets, including that of achieving
strategic sales; and the next stage of subsidy rationalization is a work-in-progress.
Way ahead
A clear strategy on disinvestment extending to sale of majority government equity

and Commitment to credible fiscal consolidation is what investors will primarily look
for.
But beyond the budget, the governments efforts to get at least two important
legislation those relating to the GST and a comprehensive bankruptcy code
(enabling businesses to shut as easily as to start) through Parliament would also
matter. And that requires creating the right political environment, for which the
responsibility lies more with the party in power.
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Indias macro economy is robust and it is likely to be the fastest growing major
economy in the world in 2016. For an economy where exports have declined due to
weak global demand and private investment remains weak, Indias economy is
performing remarkably well
The Survey said that the governments initiatives including the new bankruptcy law,
rehabilitation of stalled projects, proposed changes to the Prevention of Corruption
Act as well as the expansion of the direct benefit scheme holds the promise of
providing a significant boost to long-run efficiency and growth.
The Survey reckons that the 3.9 per cent fiscal deficit target for 2015-16 is
achievable. It notes that the time is ripe for a review of the medium-term fiscal
framework.
The Survey stops short of recommending whether or not the government should
deviate from its set fiscal goals. It says there are very good arguments for a strategy
of aggressive fiscal consolidation as well as a strategy of moderate consolidation.
Fiscal consolidation:
While making arguments both for and against the current path of fiscal
consolidation, the Survey seemed to argue overall for a less stringent fiscal
consolidation path
The Survey concludes that even a gradual recovery of nominal growth - which,
thanks to deflationary pressure has been lower than expected, driving the debt-toGDP ratio upward - would be sufficient in any case to deal with the debt problem it
had cited as the main reason for sticking to the current fiscal consolidation path.
In one of its more specific recommendations, the Survey suggested higher property
taxes, which it said would put sand in the wheels of property speculation. Smart
cities require smart public finance, the Survey noted, and sound property taxation is
vital to Indias urban future.
Connecting the dots :
Strengthening the state by improving fiscal relations between the rich and the poor
is one of the two main messages of the Budget, Comment.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
TOPIC:
General studies 3: Awareness in the fields of bio-technology and issues relating to

intellectual property rights.
General studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in
various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Biotech- Answer to edible oil shortage
The age of genetic engineering and biotechnology has enabled the humanity to save
lives and make them better (upgrade lifestyles), ushering in an era of self-sufficiency
and improving nutritional outcomes in many ways.
Ongoing research and innovations in these fields aims at diverse areas from
advancing health care facilities to increasing crop production to boost food supply,
undoubtedly adding to the quality of human lives.
Indian Edible Oil Industry

Ranking in World: Fourth-largest after the US, China and Brazil, accounting for close to 9 per
cent of global oilseeds production
Indias consumption of edible oils: Witnessed a steady rise due to
Increasing household incomes,

Growing population
Health awareness
Is there an Economic angle?

Yes, very much so as this increase in demand has not been matched by an increase in
production of oilseeds in the country
Low productivity of 1,153 kg per hectare production from 28.53 million hectares is
just 33 million tonnes
Thus, poor returns to farming communities in the dry lands of Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra
Import Dependency
According to an estimate by the Solvent Extractors Association (SEA) of India per capita
consumption in India is expected to be closer to the global average of 26 kg per annum in
about another ten years
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Current per capita consumption of oilseeds in India: 15 kg per annum and is projected to
reach 18 kg per annum by 2019 and 22.8 kg per annum by 2025
Government reports indicate that despite being a large producer of edible oils, India
depends largely on imports:
Sixty per cent of the annual edible oil demand of 18-19 million tonnes is met through
imports
Has an import bill exceeding $10 billion a year
Edible oil imports have increased by 24 per cent since 2014 to reach 14.42 million
tonnes
Conventional Challenges:
Declining arable land

Climate change
Therefore, no alternative to boosting domestic production
Viable Solutions Way Ahead

India must look at ways to increase productivity of oilseeds to bridge the demand-supply
gap
Hike in import duty Not a long-term or a durable solution
New foreign trade policy: Awards exporters of certain oils and oil-meals and has suggested
plans to increase the acreage of palm oil cultivation
Biotechnology option:
Plant biotechnology has successfully increased yield in 29 agriculturally important countries
including China, the US, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa for close to two decades.
Yields have gone up by an average of 24-35 per cent
India
Applying biotechnology in the development of mustard, groundnut and soya-bean

A demonstrable rise in yield of cottonseed in India witnessed
Biotechnology can thus, prove to be revolutionary, expediting the journey to edible oil
security
Yield Improvement: judicious and simultaneous application of several other methods

improving the planting material of oilseeds
adopting better agronomic practices
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Research and commercialisation of biotech oilseeds

Benefits of Oilseed production national health and wellbeing
Increased production of oil-meals: to feed dairy animals and poultry
Improvement in both the quality and quantity of protein rich foods such as milk,
eggs, and poultry meat
Edible oils are a key determinant of a nations nutritional security and as one of the worlds
fastest growing economies with rising prosperity levels, it is imperative that India takes
urgent steps to become sustainable in edible oil production. Only a far-sighted approach can
help India reap benefits.
In the light of the advancement of biotechnology, can the possibility of generating an

offensive technology while developing defensive technology, be ruled out? Explain.
TOPIC:
General studies 3:
Awareness in the field of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics and Nanotechnology.
Background:
Recently Scientists spot elusive space-time ripples. These space-time ripples are
termed as Gravitational waves.
A century ago, Albert Einstein hypothesised the existence of gravitational waves,
small ripples in space-time that dash across the universe at the speed of light.
Earlier scientists were able to find only indirect evidence of their existence but now
direct observations of the gravitational waves is made possible with the help of
gigantic optical instrument called LIGO [Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave
Observatory].
LIGO detected signals of gravitational waves emanating from two merging black
holes 1.3 billion light years away arriving at their instruments on the Earth.
What are Gravitational waves?
Gravitational waves are literally ripples in the curvature of space-time that are
caused by collisions of heavy and compact objects like black holes and neutron stars.
You get radiation, basically light, when you move some sort of charged particle.
When youre moving masses, you get gravitational waves.
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Why such discovery has created ripples amongst scientists fraternity?
All the current knowledge about the universe comes from electromagnetic waves
like radio waves, visible light, infrared light, X-rays and gamma rays.
These electromagnetic waves get scattered as they traverse the cosmos, thus lot of
information remains hidden.
As these gravitational waves dont get scattered as they traverse the cosmos, making
them potential source of information regarding what the universe was like in its
infancy.
This landmark discovery provides new way to observe the cosmos and unlock secrets
about the early universe and mysterious objects like black holes and neutron stars.
Was there any prediction earlier regarding Gravitational waves?
Yes. Albert Einstein proposed the existence of these waves in 1916 as an outgrowth
of his ground-breaking general theory of relativity.
While Sir Isaac Newton visualised gravitational force as a pulling force between
objects, Albert Einstein opined it to be a pushing force due to the curvature of four
dimensional space time fabric.
How are these waves detected?

Scientists have been trying to detect them using two large laser instruments in the United
States, known together as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO),
as well as another in Italy.
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Way ahead:
Discovery of Gravitational waves would be a first step towards the beginning of what
promises to be a turning point in astronomy that will enable us to study hitherto
inaccessible phenomena, and in future see the universe in the remote past all the way
to the moment of its birth.
What are Gravitational waves? How is it different from electromagnetic waves? How
are these waves detected?
Gravitational wave is a potential source of information regarding what the universe
was like in its infancy? Comment.
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TOPIC:
General studies 3:
Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Public Good named Life science
Advances in scientific research, particularly in the fields of medicine and

pharmaceuticals, have the power to transform our life into a quality life and helps
address some of the emerging health challenges in the changing global scenario.
The present life sciences sector is working on building upon its understanding of the
disease at the cellular and genetic level to usher in new and differentiated therapies
into the market.
Therefore, investing in science and innovation becomes directly proportional to a
stronger and fairer economic future and hence, biomedical advances are likely to
transform global health with early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention for chronic
and killer diseases (autoimmune diseases and cancer)
Scientific developments to look out for

Immuno-Oncology (I-O):
Immuno refers to our immune system and (I-O) uses drugs known as immunetherapies that target your bodys immune system to help fight cancer. In simple
terms, it uses the bodys immune system to help fight cancer
While chemotherapy and Radiation therapy exits and is widely the most used
method, it might as well harm some good tissues/cells in the process.
With (I-O) the immune system is enriched in a way that it can itself weed out the
malignant tissueby identifying and selectively attacking the cancer cells and thus,
providing a long lasting memory to the immune system
PD-1 (programmed death-1) and PDL-1 (programmed death ligand-1) targeting
antibodies and Chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CART), have demonstrated how
technology can be leveraged for developing path-breaking therapies in immunooncology
Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved a drug that relies
on a genetically-engineered version of the herpes virus to kill cancer cells and
stimulate immune response against malignant tumours in skin cancer patients.
Several other immune-stimulating viral therapies are also being evaluated
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Eg: A genetically-modified polio virus to fight brain cancer and a re-engineered

common cold virus for treating a form of bladder cancer
3D Bioprinting & Stem Cell Therapy:
Additive manufacturing i.e., three-dimensional (3D) printing has been driving major
innovations in and Stem cell therapy is providing new hope in not only curing a
number of debilitating diseases but also building organs under laboratory conditions
for patients.
Thus, these therapies are redefining treatments (potential to save lives) by being
applied to regenerative medicine to address the need for tissues and organs suitable
for transplantation
According to a recent report, Applications of 3D Printing 2014-2024: Forecasts,
Markets, Players, The global 3D printing market will reach at least $7 billion by
2025, which includes a conservative estimate of $3 billion for bioprinting.
Some of its usages- generation and transplantation of several tissues, including
multi-layered skin, bone, vascular grafts, tracheal splints, heart tissue and
cartilaginous structures as well as in applications including the development of highthroughput 3D-bioprinted tissue models for research, drug discovery and toxicology
Progress:
Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia gave its first go-ahead to human studies
for a revolutionary stem cell therapy aimed at halting/reversing the progression of
Parkinson's disease, which affects up to 10 million people worldwide.
Scientists in Australia have also achieved a medical breakthrough of getting stem
cells to form different cell types found in the kidney.
In Bengaluru- a tissue engineering start-up has made India's first artificial human
liver tissue with the help of 3D printing technology, using 10 million liver cells.
Biomarkers & companion diagnostics:
Biomarkers are useful in providing biological data which in turn helps predicting drug
failures before expensive clinical trials.
Also, allows scientists to identify patient pools that would respond favourably to a
particular drug
Led to the emergence of companion diagnostics, which screen patients for
biomarkers that gauge the safety and efficacy of a particular treatment
USFDAApproved
The first companion diagnostic to detect a protein associated with non-small cell
lung cancer
Merck's Keytruda drug for the disease
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Companion diagnostic:
Enables doctors to determine whether patients have high enough levels of the PD-L1
biomarker for Keytruda to be effective
Today- More sophisticated companion diagnostics are being developed to assess a
patient for multiple biomarkers related to multiple drugs.
Genomic Sequencing:
Sequencing a persons genome:
Doctors need to collect less than a teaspoon of blood or saliva

Chemicals are then used on this sample to break open the cell membranes and gather
the DNA that had been housed inside them
Enzymes strip away surrounding proteins to isolate a clump of tiny, whitish strands of
DNA and that genetic material is placed in sophisticated machines that read each of
the 3 billion base pairs that make up a persons genetic code.
Initiatives
US-based medical geneticist Robert Green's MedSeq project, are looking at ways in
which the profusion of genomics data and other clinical information can be integrated
with day-to-day medical practice in order to assist the medical fraternity in determining
a specific line of treatment for their patients
It is being combined with molecular diagnostics, imaging and data analytics to decipher
the cellular structure of malignant tumours and tailoring treatment regimen
Biosimilars:
Help in the provisioning of affordable access to complex biologics in the coming year
Less costly imitations of drugs known as biologics, which are used to treat a range of
diseases including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and anemia (not exact copies)
1st USFDA approval for a biosimilar- Granted to Filgrastim in 2015
A highly regulated market exists for the entry of biosimilars and encouraging
developments will allow speedier entry of biosimilars
With $48 billion worth of patents, slated to expire soon, the global biosimilars market
can very well be prepared for massive development
India Ready to play a significant role in the biosimilars area where companies like
Biocon, Dr Reddy's, Intas, ZydusCadila and others are engaged in developing high quality
biosimilars to provide affordable access to these complex biologics
Indian access to biosimilars- Insulins, Analogs, Filgrastim etc. since early 2000s and
more recently complex antibodies like Trastuzumab, Rituximab, Adalimumab etc.
Will help augment the capitalisation of Indian players on this unfolding global
opportunity
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IASbabas Views:
The extraordinary times require revolutionizing technology to pave way for better access to
the progress made and made possible to/by life sciences. These innovative therapies that
are acting like a boon to address the unmet patient needs to be worked upon more and
research and development in this field be stepped up for the future of mankind.
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ENVIRONMENT
Infrastructure: Energy
Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact
assessment.
Skill up or scale down ambitions in Renewable solar energy:

Background:
The current rate of installing new electricity capacity in the United States is about 10
gigawatts (GW) per year. When China was growing at 10 per cent, it was installing
about 100 GW annually. India is somewhere in between, installing 28.6 GW in 2015,
21.7 GW in 2014 and 22.9 GW in 2013.
Building energy infrastructure quickly is a daunting proposition. It needs money,
material, and men.
How fast India builds its renewable energy capacity will depend in a very big way not
just on political will and policy announcements but on how quickly it can find and
train thousands of skilled workers.
What does renewable energy mean?

Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that is collected from resources which are
naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and
geothermal heat.
Why solar energy is sort after to address energy security?
Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun harnessed using a range of everevolving technologies such as solar heating, photo voltaic, solar thermal energy,
solar architecture and artificial photosynthesis
It is a renewable energy source: Typical electricity is generated from fossil fuel that
will run out one day. Solar energy is a good alternative to replace fossil fuel as the
major energy source because solar power is renewable at absolutely no cost to
supply energy infinitely.
Environment friendly: Any effort that can reduce the pollution to the environment
helps to save the earth. Solar panels are able to harness the energy from the sun and
convert it to electricity. Therefore, the use of solar panels is environment friendly.
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Solar energy is the world's most abundant energy source: There's enough solar
energy hitting Earth every hour to replace every barrel of oil, every lump of coal, and
every other energy source used on earth for an entire year.
Technology used to convert the sun's power into electricity does not produce smoke
(carbon dioxide and other air pollutants).
What is the mechanism of solar power production?
Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly using
photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP).
CSP systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of
sunlight into a small beam.
PV converts light into electric current using the photoelectric effect.
What is India's position in terms of clean energy production?
India has become a world leader in clean energy.

In 2010, when India launched the National Solar Mission with a target of 20,000
megawatts (MW) of solar power by 2022, it had less than 20 MW installed.
Today, India has crossed 5,000 MW. The government has dramatically increased the
solar target to 100,000 MW by 2022.
What is the potential of solar energy market in Job creation?
India's 100,000 MW solar-target could generate more than one million jobs by 2022,
primarily in two key phases of a solar project's lifecycle: construction and
commissioning (806,800, accounting for 72 per cent of new solar jobs), and ongoing
operations and maintenance, or O&M (263,400; 23 per cent of new solar jobs).
These projections do not include jobs created in the manufacturing sector, another
significant jobs opportunity.
Way ahead:
Much attention is often given to issues such as policy certainty, cost of finance, land
acquisition and power evacuation, or credibility of the power-purchase agreements
signed. These are all important concerns but issue of skilled labour need to be
addressed at the earliest.
India needs to create at least 10 million new jobs every year. Understanding the job
potential in solar power and matching it to specific skills would be a fillip to the solar
mission as well as Skill India.
How to bridge the Skill Gap in India's Clean Energy Market?

In order to meet the rising demand for a skilled or semi-skilled workforce, three key areas
need urgent attention.
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Firstly, ramp up training programmes through Skill India:
Solar sector employers find the poor quality of current programmes as the biggest
hurdle.
They do not meet industry needs and are often not located near solar hubs where
they are most needed.
High-quality and accessible certification programmes, which reduce the need for and
costs of on-site training, are a big opportunity
Under Skill India, renewable energy training clusters could be located near ongoing
solar energy projects. At least one prominent solar training institute could be
established in each region projected to be a hub for major solar activity (e.g.,
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka).
In the interim, mobile training courses, where trainers move from one location to
another, would add value.
Secondly, focus on semi-skilled jobs in construction, commissioning and operations:
Our survey respondents emphasised that some of the skills most challenging to find
were not the most technical skills; rather they are basic construction and
commissioning skills, including electricians and PV installation technicians.
Training programmes focused on fundamental construction, commissioning and
operations skills should be expanded across the country.
Thirdly, use the new International Solar Alliance (ISA) framework to accelerate capacity
building:
International Solar Alliance (ISA), an initiative that India spearheaded at the Paris
climate negotiations recently.
The focus is on solar power utilization. The launching of such an alliance in Paris also
sends a strong signal to the global communities about the sincerity of the developing
nations towards their concern about climate change and to switch to a low-carbon
growth path.
India has pledged a target of installing 100GW by 2022 and reduction in emission
intensity by 33-35% by 2030 to let solar energy reach to the most unconnected
villages and communities and also towards creating a clean planet.
Indias pledge to the Paris summit offered to bring 40% of its electricity requirements
from renewable by 2030, it is based on world co operation.
The ISA can serve as an excellent platform for skill development.
The ISA could establish certified training programmes, help to build common
curricula in close consultation with the private sector, and make the workforce
qualified for deployment within India and outside.
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Can solar energy market play twin roles of addressing Energy security and job
creation? Comment.
Filling the Skill Gap in India's Clean Energy Market is the need of the hour to explore
full potential of solar power? Examine.
Related Articles:
A Solar-y Alternative: http://iasbaba.com/2015/11/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-26thnovember-2015/
INDIA AND INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE: http://iasbaba.com/2016/01/all-india-radioindia-and-international-solar-alliance/
Shifting India to Clean Energy: http://iasbaba.com/2016/01/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs21st-january-2016/
Biodiversity, Environment and Disaster Management
A tale of Kudremukh Western Ghats

Kudremukh
A mountain range and name of a peak located in Chikkamagaluru district, in

Karnataka, India
Also the name of a small hill station cum mining town situated near the mountain,
about 48 kilometres from Karkala and around 20 kilometres from Kalasa
The name literally means 'horse-face' (in the Kannada language) and refers to a
particular picturesque view of a side of the mountain that resembles a horse's face
Karnataka's 3rd highest peak after Mullayangiri and Baba Budangiri

The Kudremukh National Park in the Western Ghats
A part of the worlds 38 hottest hotspots of biological diversity, a UNESCO world

heritage site; notified as a National Park in 1987
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More than 630 sq km area of montane grasslands and tropical rainforests forms
the largest protected block within the Western Ghats
Home to unique, threatened and endangered biodiversity including lion-tailed
macaques, tigers, Malabar civets and great pied hornbills
Origin of the rivers Tunga, Bhadra and Netravati, from the heart of the park,
sustaining millions of rural people in south India
Provision of invaluable ecosystem services- Water Security, Nutrient Recycling,
Climate Regulation and Carbon Sequestration
Destruction by Mining
196948 sq km of pristine forests right in the middle of Kudremukh was leased to a gigantic
strip mining operation called the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL)
KIOCL used to send iron ore through pipes running through districts of Udupi and
Dakshina Kannada and converted to pellets at their plant in Panambur
These pellets were exported to countries like China, Iran, Japan, etc. by ships
Consequences:
Destruction of Kudremukhs natural resources
To provide access for giant earth moving machines

Blasting was taken up in earnest to loosen the soil
To get the iron ore to the pellet plant in the port city of Mangalore, a 67 km pipeline
was laid through the forest, with a road created to service it. Everyday iron ore, in
the form of slurry, was pumped downhill to the pellet plant. The slurry pipe is prone
to breakage, and in the year 2000 alone, it broke four times, spilling an estimated
4000 tonnes of concentrated iron ore into crystal clear rainforest streams
Massive habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation: The single largest threat to biodiversity and biological integrity
With Kudremukh and its surrounding forests comprise one of the largest blocks of
tropical rainforests in the Western Ghats and harbour many rare and endemic species
including the lion tailed macaque and great pied hornbill.
Heavy Sedimentation-Siltation
Massive siltation of the rivers and reservoirs (hill slopes are steep)
High Sediment Discharge- The topographic and rainfall characteristics in
combination with the open cast mining of low grade iron ore and other land-surface
disturbances (one of the highest for any open cast mining operation in the world;
reduced the water holding capacity of the Bhadra Reservoir, which was designed to
have a lifespan of 180 years)
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Every monsoon, over 100,000 tonnes of loose soil are washed down from the slopes
and into the river, depositing iron ore laden silt on the fields of farmers cultivating
downstream, and finally emptying into the Bhadra Reservoir.
Low-grade iron ore

Generates a vast amount of waste, known as tailings
Kudremukh & tailings dams breaching:
Iron ore content is just 30%, the remaining 70% of waste mud had to be dumped
somewhere-which happened to be the forested Lakya Valley, across which a tailings
dam was constructed, which now contains over 150 million tonnes of iron ore tailings
and is a disaster waiting to happen.
In 1994 it developed a serious crack thereby, leading to evacuations as far away as 45
km downstream, and emergency repairs that were carried out.
Mask of being a green company
KIOCL went on a massive tree-planting spree, planting some 8 million saplings of exotics
like Eucalyptus and Acacia on 2000 acres of natural grasslands, in the name of
compensatory afforestation (What do you mean by this-Put your grey cells to work!)
These invasive alien species thus start spreading and gradually starts replacing the native
plants (here: the native species in the shola forests)
Post the end of the lease in 1999 Company continued operations under temporary
permits, using legal subterfuges
Supreme Courts landmark Judgment
Recognised that this opencast strip mining operation in the middle of the
mountainous nature reserve was an environmental abomination
Report of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the State Legislature- In their
report tabled in the Legislative Assembly in July 2009, it has recommended
disciplinary action against senior officials for their failure to recover the fine of Rs.
139 crores imposed on KIOCL for destroying forests.
Ordered the closure of the mine by December 2005, stating: By destroying nature,
environment, man is committing matricide, having in a way killed Mother Earth.
Technological excellence, growth of industries, economical gains has led to depletion
of natural resources irreversibly. Indifference to the grave consequences, lack of
concern and foresight has contributed in large measures to the alarming position. In
the case at hand, the alleged victim is the flora and fauna in and around Kudremukh
National Park, a part of the Western Ghats.
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Remarkable
As what was closed down was no two-bit operation but a massive, governmentowned, export-oriented, profit making mining operation of the Kudremukh Iron Ore
Mining Company Limited (KIOCL), one of the (so called) Mini Ratna PSUs.
Upheld the recommendations of its own central empowered committee-Ordered the
State and Central governments to
Complete the termination of mining operations by the end of 2005;
Implement an eco-restoration plan for the mine-damaged area at cost to KIOCL;
Completely evict all KIOCL equipment, building and machinery from government
forest and revenue land;
Transfer all the lease area and standing infrastructure to the State government.
Post-Assessment (Order of Mining to be ceased)
Documented significant improvements in water quality

Reduction in silt load levels in the Bhadra river
A mere wishing star Violation of the Law

Disregarding the Supreme Court judgment, KIOCL (with support from local politicians and
officials) has continued to encroach on large areas that now belong to the government
Noticed The company was fined Rs. 130 crore for its violations of forest laws by the
Comptroller and Auditor General; penalty endorsed by the State Public Accounts Committee
What happened Fine hasnt been collected and no eviction has been done yet
In the meanwhile,
KIOCL has leased its buildings to a private luxury resort called Alvas Kudremukh
Nisargadhama
Illegality of the matterLeasing out something that is not your own- KIOCL does not own
the land it has leased to the resort
Contempt of CourtThe apex court(December 2006 judgment), had rejected KIOCLs plea
to use its existing infrastructure for promoting eco-tourism; the leasing of property to
Alvas luxury resort thus amounts to blatant contempt of the courts orders
Against Rules Mandatory environmental and forest clearances have not even been
obtained for its establishment; transgressed several conservation laws
All tourism infrastructure be moved out of national parks and sanctuariesWHY?
Establishment of such resorts and townships within the heart of the park will entail
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P a g e | 149
Development of infrastructure such as approach roads, electrical lines, water and

sewage lines, buildings, and swimming pools and the like
Will result in resource consumption, waste generation, vehicular traffic, pollution and
other disturbances all of which pose a chronic threat to the ecological integrity of the
park
Therefore, the court in its interim orders in Ajay Dubey v. National Tiger Conservation
Authority insisted that all tourism infrastructures be moved out of national parks and
sanctuaries that constitute tiger reserves within the next five years
Preserving the ecological marvel
There is a need to protect the entire 281-acre enclave owned by KIOCL-must be

acquired by the forest department and merged into the surrounding Kudremukh
National Park.
Before the planting or healing of the wounds of the forest begin, the mined slopes
will have to be carefully studied and, in some cases, may have to be stabilized to
prevent landslips-Can be achieved through standard geo-technical practices such as
soil nailing and geo-meshing, which do not require the moving of large amounts of
earth
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DEFENCE/SECURITY
TOPIC:
General studies 3:
Security challenges and their management in border areas, linkage of organised
crime with terrorism
General studies 2:
India and its neighbourhood- relations
Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements including India/ or
affecting Indias interest
Maritime Security: Indias challenge of securing the seas
Background:
Three recent events underline Indias efforts to highlight its growing maritime interests and
ambitions in order to secure them unilaterally and in partnership with others.
The first was the quiet release of the Indian Maritime Security Strategy (IMSS) titled
Ensuring Secure Seas.
The second was the holding of the combined senior commanders conference, with
top officers from all three services, on board INS Vikramaditya, the Indian Navys
latest aircraft carrier and its largest platform.
The last and most recent was Indias hosting of its second International Fleet Review
(IFR) at Visakhapatnam in early February.
What is the current status of Indian Navy?
India is now willing to provide net maritime security either by itself or in

cooperation with other navies in its primary and secondary areas of interest, which
now extend from the west coast of Africa to the south-east Indian Ocean, including
sea routes to the Pacific Ocean.
One instance of this cooperation was the IBSAMAR V exercise conducted with
Brazilian and South African ships off the coast of Goa just after the IFR.
Sea Power in Peace and War

The term sea power is a much broader concept that entails at least four elements:
5. Control of international trade and commerce;
6. Usage and control of ocean resources;
7. Operations of navies in war;
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P a g e | 151
8. Use of navies and maritime economic power as instruments of diplomacy,

deterrence, and political influence in times of peace.
Unlike the concepts of land power or air power, which are generally defined only in military
terms, sea power can never be quite separated from its geo-economic purposes.
What are the threats mentioned in IMSS-2015 ?
Traditional Threats:
The principal threat would be from states with a history of aggression against India,
i.e concerns vis--vis Chinas growing role in the Indian Ocean.
It cautions that even countries with divergent national interests can be significant
trade partners today (China).
Upon that it also mentions there may be divergent security perceptions with nations
that may be traditional friends (read United States).
Non- Traditional Threats:
Terrorism
Piracy and organized crime
Climate change
Natural disasters
Due to turmoil in West Asia, naval ships have been involved in the evacuation of
Indian and other nationals from Libya and Yemen.
What are the recent tasks taken up by Navy in addressing Non-traditional threats?
During the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Indian Navy has been increasingly
involved in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
Recently in 2014 when cyclone Hudhud ravaged Visakhapatnam and other parts of
Andhra Pradesh Indian Navy played a vital role in disaster relief operations.
The Indian Navy's role in providing timely succour to Indonesia and Sri Lanka,
despite our preoccupation with relief operations in Andaman and Nicobar, in
Tsunami is well documented.
Humanitarian and Disaster Relief capability of the Indian Navy was again evident
during the recent cyclone Nargis.
In fact, providing a responsive and effective Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster
Relief throughout the Indian Ocean Region remains a core focus area for the Indian
Navy, considering that 70 per cent of the world's natural disasters occur in the Indian
Ocean Region.
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What is the current status of Indias sea-based nuclear deterrence?

The primary objective of the nuclear-powered submarine armed with nuclear-tipped
missiles is to convey credibility, effectiveness and survivability of Indias nuclear arsenal to
its nuclear-armed adversaries.
What are the various maritime initiatives taken recently?
Project Mausam:
Maritime Routes and Cultural Landscapes across the Indian Ocean.

Transnational initiative meant to revive its ancient maritime routes and cultural
linkages with countries in the region.
Project focuses on the natural wind phenomenon, especially monsoon winds used by
Indian sailors in ancient times for maritime trade, that has shaped interactions
between countries and communities connected by the Indian Ocean.
Project will seek to draw on its ancient linkages with countries in this region as it
offers an alternative which could counter-balance the maritime silk route of China
Blue Chakra (from the Ashoka chakra on the Indian flag)
Blue chakra or wheel in India's national flag represents the potential of Blue
Revolution or the Ocean Economy.
The Blue Revolution, if realized in its entirety, has the potential to transform India in
similar to that of Green revolution and White revolution.
The Indian Ocean is critical to the future of the world.
This Ocean bears two-thirds of the world's oil shipments, one-third of its bulk cargo
and half of its container traffic. Over three-fourths of its traffic goes to other regions
of the world
Cooperation amongst Island countries is vital for the exploration of full potential of
Blue revolution.
SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)
Ensuring peace, stability and prosperity is India in Indian Ocean region.

Goal is to seek a climate of trust and transparency; respect for international
maritime rules and norms by all countries; sensitivity to each other`s interests;
peaceful resolution of maritime issues; and increase in maritime cooperation.
Way ahead:
Today, the geo-strategic significance of India as a stabilising power in the IOR is

globally accepted and there is a distinct realisation that India is destined to play a
larger global role in the years ahead.
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P a g e | 153
Proper Cooperation, climate of trust and transparency is the need of the hour for
peaceful resolution of maritime issues and also to realise full potential of Blue
revolution.
Blue revolution is acting as a new found platform to increase maritime cooperation?.

Comment.
Is Project Mausum an answer to Chinas Maritime Silk route Policy? Evaluate.
Related Articles:
Indias Military Prowess: Navies are for more than just fighting:
Indian Navy: Centrality of Indian Ocean for Indias prosperity and security:
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Operationalising Blue Diplomacy: http://iasbaba.com/2016/02/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs11th-february-2016/
www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 154
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http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/tt33sR9UjjvpcryAupIWaI/Fiscal-reforms-two-birds-onestone.html
TRAI: Internet power to the people
Hindu 1
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/internet-power-to-thepeople/article8215767.ece
Hindu 2
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/adhering-to-basics-andfreedom/article8215764.ece
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/net-neutrality-trai-digital-india-keeping-it-open/
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Internet-The Public Good

Nothing free or basic about Free Basics (Facebooks initiative)

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http://iasbaba.com/babas-monthly-magazine/
The SC must end partisan federalism

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http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/the-sc-must-end-partisanfederalism/article8215770.ece
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Debt dj vu- Merely rescuing the banking system from the existing emergency will only
clear the way to the next one. Policy should go into causal factors.
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/bad-loans-debt-deja-vu/
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The problem of debt concentration

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India to soon ratify WTO trade facilitation pact: Government- To also seek a similar pact on
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Nothing to beat black rice- Arguably of Japanese origin, and full of therapeutic properties, it
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A peaceful way out on Siachen

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Is the war against the IS Indias war?

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It doesnt trickle down- Processes of knowledge diffusion reinforce inequalities. We need

explicit pro-poor targeting of efforts
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Suitable jobs for a woman

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The mechanics of central banking-Quantitative easing effectively financed borrowing,

conflating the divide between monetary and fiscal policy
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Distorted gas allocation to fertiliser sector

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Why 7.6% growth is hard to square

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TERIs disgraceful appointment

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/teris-disgracefulappointment/article8225383.ece
Education reform needed in Kerala

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http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/education-reform-needed-inkerala/article8225387.ece
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India, UAE sign 7 agreements to step up bilateral cooperation-During Modi's visit to UAE, it
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The sprouting of the look west policy (Part III)

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NITI Aayog's purpose is still unclear- It is unfortunate that the political leadership has not
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Enabling direct transfers through JAM- Each elementJan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar and
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Inching towards a crisis, drop by drop

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The presidential prerogative

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A wave of awe and opportunity

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http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/a-wave-of-awe-and-opportunity/article8229389.ece

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/stephen-hawking-hails-gravitational-wavediscovery/article8227667.ece
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/scientists-detect-gravitational-waves-hypothesised-acentury-ago-by-einstein/article8224150.ece
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JNU: State overreach on the campus ?

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War and possible peace in Syria

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Taking Off Contrary to official claims, Tejas is a winner

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From Plate to Plough: On the farm front, make a bold move- The budget is an opportunity
for government to address the simmering discontent and disillusion in rural India.
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Sex determination: Answer this- If the government does not have the will to regulate
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The trade agreements dilemma- Economists cant explain why expanded trade has
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Raja-mandala: A short history of F-16s- India is not really bothered by eight F-16s but by the
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New Policies: Start-up initiative could jumpstart employment generation- During the initial
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STARTUP INDIA STANDUP INDIA

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P a g e | 180
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/lessons-from-delhi/
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http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/banking-on-less/
Tip of the iceberg-Bad loan crisis means genuine bank reforms now essential
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Forget manufacturing, just make interest payments in India- Companies in India are
struggling to shore up their operational performance, but high interest rates mean theyre
fighting with their backs against the wall
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Securing Indias energy interests in West Asia-The commodity price crash means New Delhi
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Understanding the debt epidemic in Asia

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Can India beat this slowdown?

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The curious case of Justice Karnan

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JNU, and the idea of India

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The rise of whistleblowers- Companies Act of 2013 trigger for surge in whistleblower-led
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Fiscal deficit and growth slowdown- The long-term costs of persistent financial repression
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Restoring goodwill in India-Nepal ties

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Right step on savings schemes

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P a g e | 184
Subsidy reform: Seeding change through direct benefit transfer-Uttar Pradesh has shown
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Agricultural research: The real yellow revolution- Mustard holds the key for reducing
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If the fertiliser subsidy were abolished- Doing so is politically tough for any government but
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Chhattisgarh govt cancels tribal rights over forest lands- Forest Rights Act allows
government to divert forest lands for other purposes only after prior consent of the tribals
through gram sabhas
Business Standard
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The rationale of Indias drug policy-The governments price control mechanisms have not
been optimal
Live Mint
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Learning how to beat corruption- It thrives wherever power, secrecy, repression combine.
It is undone by civic mobilization, vigilant enforcement
Live Mint
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Gay rights are human rights

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A landmark for Indian scientists

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Mechanisation perks up non-major ports-Share in total seaborne trade rises to 45% in

2014-15
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Concerns over IPR- Gaps in Indian intellectual property rights need to be plugged
Business Standard
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Farmers to have pan-India access to mandis- e-based platform will be launched on April 14
to mark Ambedkar's anniversary; Modi asks country to double farm income by 2022
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www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 187
Putting principles into practice-An early adopter of the OECD Principles of Corporate
Governance, India has been proactive about framing regulation. What matters though is
implementation. For that, Indian companies must commit themselves to adopting a strong
governance framework
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/amit-tandon-putting-principles-into-practice116021801131_1.html
Boosting industry-academia linkages- Universities and industry can come together to meet
national challenges like Swachh Bharat, Make in India
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/r-gopalakrishnan-boosting-industry-academialinkages-116021801133_1.html
Make in India and renewable energy

Renewable energys job-creation potential is significant. But it brings with it the urgent,
unmet need for skilling
Live Mint
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MSMEs: Engine for Growth

Articles related to Renewable energy:

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Indias failed diplomacy at the WTO-It has repeatedly failed to protect the domestic food
security agenda
Live Mint
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/cQ6ITXsJ1BZYqVcRThZHVP/Indias-failed-diplomacy-at-theWTO.html
For more information on WTO and its relevance & Related issues , refer the below link
WTO: GATS & Indian Education
We, the people of South Asia

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/we-the-people-of-southasia/article8259184.ece
The tricolour- The adoption of the national flag was a culmination of the struggle for
independence it is symbolic, today, of the peoples assertion and ownership of their
sense of freedom.
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/indian-flag-in-university-hrd-ministry-jnu-rowthe-tricolour/
The Kuwait model- Despite growing Sunni resentment, the country is still a role model for
integrating the Shia population.
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/islam-shia-sunni-muslims-the-kuwait-model/
www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 189
Farm solutions- The new digital agri market platform and crop insurance scheme are
welcome initiatives
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/farm-solutions-farmer-insurance-pmfbynational-agricultural-market/
To grow or not to grow

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/to-grow-or-not-to-grow/article8265529.ece
Gandhi and Ambedkar, a false debate

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/gandhi-and-ambedkar-a-falsedebate/article8265526.ece
Unreasonable demands
Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/unreasonable-demands/article8265523.ece
Unemployment down in urban centres, but persists in rural areas, says survey
Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/unemployment-down-in-urban-centres-butpersists-in-rural-areas-says-survey/article8265553.ece
Give Soldiers Their Due- The armed forces should have a separate pay commission.
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/give-soldiers-their-due/
www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 190
Apple-FBI stand-off: It's privacy vs security

Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/apple-vs-fbi-116022100660_1.html
Ficci calls for reforms through executive action-The proposed reforms are spread across
exports, taxation, and crucial sectors
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/ficci-calls-for-reforms-throughexecutive-action-116022200036_1.html
Modi identifies 2nd village to develop; colleagues far behind-Under the Saansad Adarsh
Gram Yojana, each MP has to develop one model village in their constituency by 2016 and
two more by 2019
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/modi-identifies-2nd-village-to-developcolleagues-far-behind-116022200035_1.html
PM Modi launches Rurban Mission from Chhattisgarh- Expects to attract Rs 5,000-cr

investment in next three years to give villages an urban look
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/pm-modi-launches-rurban-missionfrom-chhattisgarh-116022100337_1.html
India ranks 54th in internal policy support to global innovation-The report found a strong
correlation between countries' contributions to global innovation and their levels of
domestic innovation success
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/management/india-ranks-54th-in-internal-policysupport-to-global-innovation-116022100634_1.html
www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 191
Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/patriotism-withoutnationalism/article8269062.ece
Referendum gamble for Britain

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/referendum-gamble-forbritain/article8269057.ece
Live Mint
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/jNOjXk14u0RaRrJWLHdkEK/Britain-and-the-European-Unionexperiment.html
Stark reminder in Jammu & Kashmir

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/stark-reminder-in-jammukashmir/article8269058.ece
A fine balance on the Budget

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/a-fine-balance-on-thebudget/article8269060.ece
Raja-Mandala: Retrieving the momentum- The euphoria, however, did not take long to
fade as the complex regional dynamics provided a reality check to Modis diplomacy.
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/nepal-constitution-madhesi-agitationkathmandu-k-p-sharma-oli-bilateral-relations/
www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 192
Tax agri income for the benefit of small farmers- However, taxing agricultural income at
minimal rates of about 5% can help rather than hurt our poor farmers
Live Mint
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/6xB9qdNGJpC2OsbYHVWWKN/Tax-agri-income-for-the-benefitof-small-farmers.html
India is an outlier in its tax policy-As India broke from its clichd Hindu rate of growth post
1991, its tax-to-GDP ratio stayed constant, belying those who predicted a spike
Live Mint
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/brbD6Tw1akpGS3um0t3CaM/India-is-an-outlier-in-its-taxpolicy.html
Clean air agenda for the cities

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/clean-air-agenda-for-thecities/article8273269.ece
We need a liberal arts revolution

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/we-need-a-liberal-artsrevolution/article8273274.ece
What Apple versus FBI means for India

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/what-apple-versus-fbi-means-forindia/article8273273.ece
No option but to engage - Having committed to attending the SAARC summit in Islamabad
which is only months away, the Prime Minister must know that talks with Pakistan will have
to resume well before that
www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 193
Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/no-option-but-to-engage/article8273275.ece
Demarcating a safe threshold- Rules on suspension of internet would allay concerns on

individual rights.
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/demarcating-a-safe-threshold/
Flying against logic- The government should scrap the anti-competitive 5/20 rule in the
aviation sector that hurts consumer interests.
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/flying-against-logic/
It's time for smart villages-To allow our cities to thrive, we must look after our villages
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/barun-roy-it-s-time-for-smart-villages116022301101_1.html
In the interests of public order- Systemic flaws enable political parties to selectively enforce
fundamental rights to further their own interests
Live Mint
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/5WLiRnhxwVIpeNKwSZ6XjN/In-the-interests-of-publicorder.html
Restoring goodwill with Kathmandu

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/restoring-goodwill-withkathmandu/article8277561.ece
www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 194
India- US: A partnership to Mars and beyond

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/a-partnership-to-mars-andbeyond/article8277568.ece
A deep malaise-Pampore shows why India needs counter-terrorism institutions, not more
martyrs
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/pampore-encounter-jk-a-deep-malaise/
Section 124A should stay- It would be perilous to abolish it without analysing the empirical
evidence on its implementation.
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/section-124a-should-stay-2/
Disagree, Dont Label- It is not anti-national to denounce a court judgment or ask for
azaadi for Kashmir
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/disagree-dont-label/
WTO rules against India in solar power dispute- Supports US in saying power purchase
agreements signed by govt 'inconsistent' with international norms
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/wto-rules-against-india-in-solar-powerdispute-116022401289_1.html
Focus on reviving agriculture needed- The crash in global commodity prices and deficit
rainfall for two years in a row have affected farmers incomes
Live Mint
www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 195
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/OHmNBU0b0xDkYQez27p5UJ/Focus-on-reviving-agricultureneeded.html
Quantifying the caste quotas

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/quantifying-the-castequotas/article8282432.ece
For detailed analysis on Reservation, refer the below link

Reservation : boon or bane?

Marshalling resources to stay on track

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/marshalling-resources-to-stay-ontrack/article8282429.ece
A prudent decision: Patents on Computer Programs - NO

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/a-prudent-decision/article8282428.ece
Related Articles:
Legally Knotted Innovations
Ask for results- Centre should redirect its energies towards defining and measuring
outcomes, and linking them to funds for states
Indian Express
www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 196
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/union-budget-2016-ask-for-results/
Is power fencing helping Kazirangas wild animals?- The move has been welcomed by local
people, will it necessarily help conservation?
Live Mint
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/7zpoSyF1h6nKAcGzzHXPcI/Is-power-fencing-helping-Kazirangaswild-animals.html
Project Shield to protect news sites from attacks: Google- The web has become a critical
tool for news organisations to communicate faster, research and disseminate their work to
a global audience, especially in cases of investigative work
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/project-shield-to-protect-news-sites-fromattacks-google-116022501182_1.html
What it means to be national

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/what-it-means-to-benational/article8287099.ece
Related Articles:
http://iasbaba.com/2016/02/iasbabas-tlp-2016-24th-february-upsc-mains-gs-questions-hotsynopsis/
Bolivias Morales transformation

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/bolivias-moralestransformation/article8287096.ece
www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 197
The Quota Rush- Dominant castes demanding reservation erodes this limited, dwindling
entitlement.
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/jat-reservation-paidar-patel-the-quota-kapus/
For detailed analysis on Reservation, refer the below link

Reservation : boon or bane?

An opportunity to reform fertiliser sector- Enabling direct transfer of subsidy will help the
fisc and farmers, and enhance soil health as well
Business Line
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/an-opportunity-to-reformfertiliser-sector/article8282247.ece
Do political parties matter anymore? - In the era of social media, parties are being deemphasised in favour of personalities. This trend will be a game changer
Business Line
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/do-political-parties-matteranymore/article8287028.ece
Is India at an inflection point?

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/is-india-at-an-inflectionpoint/article8293589.ece
Reworking the Supreme Courts role

Hindu
www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 198
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/reworking-the-supreme-courtsrole/article8293586.ece
For a green economy that is also just

Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/for-a-green-economy-that-is-alsojust/article8293587.ece
Get down to business- If India is to improve its ease of doing business rank, the Centre
needs to partner with states
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/get-down-to-business/
Related Articles:
Saving Siachens Soldiers- India and Pakistan should seriously rethink deployment in winter
Indian Express
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/saving-siachens-soldiers/
It's time for civil aviation reform to take off- The changes suggested in the proposed civil
aviation policy encourage competition and offer more choice to consumers
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/laveesh-bhandari-it-s-time-for-civil-aviationreform-to-take-off-116022800640_1.html
Related Articles:
Draft National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2015
http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-31st-october-2015/
www.IASbaba.com
P a g e | 199
The bright spot- But India must overcome barriers in the smartphones market
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/the-bright-spot-116022800638_1.html
Laws that make the Budget- A look at some key legal and Constitutional aspects that form
the basis of the Budget-making process
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/laws-that-make-the-budget116022800671_1.html
A tale of an election and a selection- Unless the P5 recognize that a weak and inept leader
challenges their own legitimacy, the UN will be encumbered by a powerless leader
Live Mint
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/ZW9Txys4SzFsE2k4uC2hsO/A-tale-of-an-election-and-aselection.html
Loose ends in our tax administration - Direct and indirect tax data should be integrated,
Property transactions and small businesses escape the tax net
Business Line
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/loose-ends-in-our-taxadministration/article8293406.ece
www.IASbaba.com

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Page |1

All the Best

Indias education system

Negotiating with the Taliban

Need to Revive Agriculture

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Biotech- Answer to edible oil shortage

Maritime Security: Indias challenge of securing the seas

Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and

Indias education system

Provision of skills required for professional growth

Theres a lack of understanding (teachers) of the methodologies forwarded to be

Renders the formal system ineffective

Extensive Changes in the Landscape

Necessity of children spending 12 years in school, compartmentalised into different

Multilingual school system:

Connecting the Dots:

Policymakers should be facilitators and not implementers- Critically examine

General studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in

PPP Model- Rural Broadband Network

Special purpose vehicle, the Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL)

Appropriate Model: Private Incentives + Long-term service delivery

Instrument for easing finance and capacity constraints

Concessionaires be given the job of:

Deploying the optical fibre cable and other network infrastructure

Connecting the dots:

Implementation of PESA and FRA Fraught with challenges

Process of documenting tribal claims is a difficult task, involving democratically constituted

Identified land- Lower in size

Difficult to furnish proof of residence at times

Connecting the Dots:

Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector or Services

Points to a belief in an isolated, idealized form of egalitarianism that is unworkable in

Shall lead to establishment of enterprises dependent upon the human resources

Private institutions & India

Issues with Private Universities and deemed universities

Restrictions on entry of foreign universities, foreign faculty and foreign collaboration

Grant autonomy to private institutions,

Steps that have been taken:

Improvement in higher education institutes, especially in infrastructure in the 12th

Setting up of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and an Indian Institute of

Connecting the Dots:

Racism: Taking Pride in Prejudice

Presence of advertisements that asks us to transform the colour of our skin

Eye-openers (on paper)

Fast-track courts and special police squads:

Social media outreach and legal awareness campaigns:

Bonding power of sports:

It is time for India to confront an embedded racism

Connecting the Dots:

Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and

What is the recent TRAI ruling?

No differential rates for data services, rules TRAI:

The countrys National Broadband Network (NBN) is holding discussions on net

Meanwhile, Net Neutrality activists see it as a positive indication for future

Connecting the dots:

What do you understand by net neutrality? Is free basics initiative of Facebook a

227 million Internet users, compared to 665 million in China

The idea of human capability

the overall business climate and

Difference in quality of education:

Implementation: The entire programme is designed as a top level model on the

Improving IT Literacy: Improving IT literacy is very important because the entire

Man-In-The-Middle Attack: It is a type of cyber- attack where a malicious actor