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SECURE SYNOPSIS: 09 JANUARY 2018

by InsightsIAS · January 10, 2018

SECURE SYNOPSIS: 09 JANUARY 2018

NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are
NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content
that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points
in the form of background information.

Background:-

According to National crime records bureau figures 17,700 Indians died and 48
people every day due to fire accidents in 2015.

Maharashtra and Gujarat, the two most highly urbanised states, account for about
30% of the country’s fire accident deaths.

Regulations are not working :-

There is a close correlation between deaths due to fire-related accidents and

population density associated with urbanisation.

These are man made disasters with failure in urban planning manufactured by a mix
of bad regulations and compromised enforcement machinery and powerful interest
groups.

The Chennai floods in 2015 was because of faulty urban planning with industrial
complexes, educational institutions and housing estates ravaging the watershed
areas filling up thousands of smaller ponds and streams and silting major tanks and
increasing the surface water flow manifold.

Urban areas alone require an additional 4,200 fire stations just to meet the minimum
standard for response time.

Buildings need in-built fire-fighting equipment like sprinklers and alarms that work.
But there is hardly any attention.

Regular inspections are supposed to ensure the presence of basic fire-fighting

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equipment as well as compliance with building norms. But there are enough
loopholes, such as norms not applying for establishments with a seating capacity of
less than 50 people.

People also view inspections as a form of license raj. There is a lot of resistance

Technological issues:-
urban cities have failed to invest in LIDAR-based (Light Detection and Ranging)
technologies that can be used to aerially keep a track of setbacks and the presence of
fire exits.

Adequate space could have easily been retained for essential services like fire stations
while redeveloping mill land, but urban cities don’t do it.

From fire safety to waste recycling, from energy efficiency to water supply, from
housing to traffic safety, the organised interest groups have infiltrated the state
machinery and have been successful in damaging public interests as a matter of daily
existence.

Urban development is a state subject so there is lack of coordination among

multiple stakeholders involved.

Inspection authorities failure

Suggestions:-

There are LIDAR-based (Light Detection and Ranging) technologies that can be used
to aerially keep a track of setbacks and presence of fire exists.

There is a need to break the bureaucracy-real estate business nexus.

Strict implementation of laws is necessary especially fire regulations

There needs to be focus on holistic development which addresses economic growth,

employment, social change. At the same time, it needs to deal with economic
deprivation, environmental degradation, waste management, and proper utilisation
of space.

Multiplicity of authorities is a problem in metropolitan cities in India so a minimum

organisational set-up as in Singapore is effective in bringing these multiple agencies
on a common platform to determine a metropolitan-wide strategy for planning and
implementation.

General Studies – 2

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Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services

relating to Health,

2) India has a shockingly high maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 167: for every
100,000 births. This is more than twice the target to be achieved under the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Why do you think institutional delivery is still
a nightmare for majority of pregnant women in India? (250 Words)

The Wire

Background

To reduce maternal mortality reduce India put forward policies and programmes in
place to facilitate institutional births through Janani Suraksha yojana but still large
concerns remain.

Why is institutional delivery a nightmare :-

The uptake of these facilities has not increased and so the number of maternal deaths
has not decreased.

The lack of adequate staff and quality doctors especially in rural areas.

Indian public health system is unable to provide quality healthcare to all those who
can’t afford the private sector.

Lack of proper budgetary allocation by government with r spectrum to healthcare

services.

Even when the services are available, they are of poor quality, which deters people
from utilising them further.

Substandard and inhumane care is delivered by healthcare professionals.

Women face verbal abuse and discrimination

Made to deliver on the floor due to lack of beds

Not provided pain relief to avoid prolonged births

Invasive procedures are performed like episiotomy is performed on them without

their knowledge or consent.

Infrastructural constraints :-
There is overcrowding in the room with the obstetrician, resident doctor, nurses and
interns.

In India, allowing a birth companion is usually not possible in a government set-up,

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despite many studies from around the world showing the benefits of having the
spouse or a trusted family member present for a smooth labour.

In India, caesarean sections are very often seen as a means of making money in the
private sector and as a means of quicker labour in the public sector.

The intersectionality of physical and verbal abuse and discrimination with caste, class
or medical condition also can’t be denied.
A large section of women that face obstetric violence belong to lower socio-economic
backgrounds.

Lack of awareness due to illiteracy and social stigma is still prevalent in some areas.

Suggestions:-

Healthcare providers need to be held responsible for their actions and must treat
women in labour as autonomous individuals.

Budgetary allocation needs to increase

The rural areas healthcare infrastructure needs to increase especially implementing

ASHA more effectively.

Topic: Important aspects of governance, transparency & accountability and

institutional and other measures.

3) India does not have a legal definition of what constitutes personal information and
lacks a robust and comprehensive data protection law. We need to have both quickly
in place if the Supreme Court’s judgment according privacy the status of a
fundamental right is to have any meaning. In the light of recent developments,
critically comment on the statement. (250 Words)

The Hindu

Background :-

In this digital age a growing pool of personal information that can be easily shared
has become available to government and private entities.So there is a need for some
clarity on this issue.

Lack of data protection in India :-

Technological issues :-
In the light of new technologies including internet of things and machine learning
based on big data key issues related to data protection arise.

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Emerging technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence and the internet of
things may operate outside the framework of traditional privacy principles.

Legal issues:
Data protectionin India is governed by loosely constructed provisions of the
Information Technology Amended Act, 2008 (ITAA) under Sections 43-A and 72A of
the Act.

Compensation for failure to protect data (Section 43-A) was introduced by way of an
amendment in 2008.However, the Act fails to define sensitive data and states the
same as personal information as may be prescribed by the Central government
Even when data leaks such as from the McDonald’s McDelivery app have happened,
section 43A and its rules have not proven of use

The effort to bring in Personal Data Protection Bill governing data protection and
privacy has been dismal.
The bill was unable to explain the duties and responsibilities of a data controller

The bill also fails to underline the issue relating to outsourced data and the liabilities
of companies outsourcing and hosting the data.

The current legislation (ITAA) fails to mention the enterprises that store data and
questions their liability in case of a breach and compensation to consumers

Data put out through biometrics or for economic purposes remains at risk in India
since no legislation has been chalked out to protect such personal data.

There is no body that specifically regulates data privacy.

Privacy is a fundamental human right, recognised as such in the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights. India has ratified the UN’s International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, which contains an obligation to protect privacy. Control
over one’s personal data is an innate facet of privacy.

Judicial confusion:-
Puttaswamy judgment is not clear on whether privacy is a fundamental right that can
be applied horizontally

No it’s not :-

The government-appointed Srikrishna committee as part of its work to prepare a

data protection framework and frame a draft Data Protection Bill.

The move assumes significance amid the debate over security of individuals’ private
data, including Aadhaar-linked biometrics, and the rising number of cyber-crimes in

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the country.

Some redress for misuse of personal data by commercial entities is also available
under the Consumer Protection Act enacted in 2015.As per the Act, the disclosure of
personal information given in confidence is an unfair trade practice.

Suggestions:-

International examples:-
EU case study
Protection of people’s data has been included as one of the fundamental rights of the
European Union under Article 8 of the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the
European Union.

Right to privacy and consent of an individual form the basis of Article 8 adding the
right to access data and the right to have it rectified.

Japan:
Japan introduced a separate central legislation for protection of data as the Act on
the Protection of Personal Information (APPI).

Similar to the EU law, consent of a data subject forms the essence of the legislation
and has been stated as mandatory in case of transmitting data to a third party or for
any use beyond communication purposes.

Indian law should create an independent oversight for all government surveillance, as
well as a data commissioner’s office with the power to take proactive action against
violators.

General Studies – 3

Topic: Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and

their effects on industrial growth

4) It doesn’t augur well for an aspiring market economy that the government should
provide goods that competitive markets can provide effectively. With reference to
debate on the privatization of Air India, comment on the statement. (150 Words)

Livemint

Background:-

Recently parliamentary panel in its draft report postponed the privatization of Air
India by five years.This brought the issue of whether government should still goods in

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competitive market

Yes,government need not run :-

Indian state need not run commercial enterprises for the simple reason that it tends
to compromise profit for achieving overall welfare of the people

In the case of Air India The airline needs better management so as to not be a burden
on the country’s finances.

Air India is operationally inefficient and unable to compete with private sector
operators. The airline has been grossly mismanaged over the years.so it’s better for
private sector to take over it as their motive is profit.

The airline has not been able to achieve the targets set in the turnaround plan

The government will have to keep bailing out Air India with taxpayers’ money if it
decides to hold on to it.

In the case of Air India, the cost is a lot higher as it is consistently making losses and
is dependent on the government for survival. Further, the presence of state-owned
enterprise distorts the market.

A firm with access to government finances and practically no fear of failing affects
price discovery in the market and can hurt private sector operators in the business.

Divesting the loss-making Air India will send a strong signal to investors that India is
serious about reforms and is no longer willing to throw good money after bad.

The government has fiscal constraints and needs to spend more in important areas
such as health and education.

No,government’s role is necessary:-

The draft report of the parliamentary panel expressed displeasure with

implementation of the turnaround plan (TAP), and cited concern over potential
layoffs should the privatization go through.

International example:-
After being privatised British rail has gained a reputation for poor services and
management.

Way forward:-

There is need to revamp air India especially in the light of growing standard of people
and increasing urbanisation.

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Topic: Developments in S&T

5) Though innovations such as blockchain are at the heart of creating ‘trustless’

decentralising technologies, their goal remains efficiency and profit. Comment. (250
Words)

The Hindu

Background:-

In the digital world today new blockchain currencies, technology platforms and
ecosystems, beginning with Bitcoin and Ethereum, but now also including Lisk, Kin
and many .

So there is need to be caution about crypto currency on its positives and concerns

Creationg trustless decentralising technologies:-

The blockchain uses economic incentives to motivate members of the network to do

the work of validating every transaction.It does away with the bank’s role as an
intermediary

It poses serious issue to central banks as well as states .

Anonymity in this technology can be exploited by anti-social elements for terror

funding,money laundering , human traficking etc.This is the reason RBI has given
warnings.

How it enhances efficiency :-

Decentralisation:-
Interest in blockchain is also being driven by the belief that eliminating the need for a
trusted third party in the transfer of value will enable faster, less expensive financial
transactions, with greater privacy.

Triple-entryAccounting :-
Blockchain permits triple entry accounting, an enhancement to the traditional double
entry system. All accounting entries involving outside parties are cryptographically
sealed by a third entry.

Rather than occurring separately in independent sets of books, they occur in the same
distributed, public ledger, creating an interlocking system of enduring accounting
records.

Transparency:
The distributed ledger structure gives the control of all their information and

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transactions to the users. Blockchain data is complete, accurate and consistent with
all the members.

Faster transactions :-
Blockchain transactions can reduce transaction times to minutes and are processed
24/7.

An instantaneous settlement would transform an industry such as transportation and

energy, potentially saving billions from increased back-office efficiency and
automation.

Reduced transaction costs:

A transaction system build using blockchain eliminates third party intermediaries
and overhead costs for exchanging assets.

Opportunities for blockchain go beyond finance and banking. It can transform

systems in the fields of Healthcare (Electronic medical records), Entertainment
(gaming and music streaming), Manufacturing (Supply chain management).

It can even make voting further transparent in India .

Conclusion:-

There is a need to take effective measures on cryptocurrencies and bring some

governmental guarantees regarding blockchain to avoid speculation .

Topic: Environmental pollution

6) What is surface ozone (O3)? Why is it considered as a neglected and dangerous

pollutant? Examine. (150 Words)

The Hindu

Background:-

In India pollution diacussion is mainly concentrated with particulate

matter but ground level ozone/surface ozone is equally hazardous .A
recent study shows that the O3 levels will continue to rise drastically
particularly in North India.

Surface ozone:

Ground level or “bad” ozone is not emitted directly into the air, but is created by
chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds
(VOC) in the presence of sunlight.

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Emissions from industrial facilities and electric utilities, motor vehicle exhaust,
gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents are some of the major sources of NOx and
VOC.

Why is it a Dangerous pollutant :-

Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems, particularly for children, the
elderly, and people of all ages who have lung diseases such as asthma.

Groundlevel ozone can also have harmful effects on sensitive vegetation especially
during the growing season and ecosystems including forests, parks, wildlife refuges
and wilderness areas

It is the main ingredient in “smog.

According to data by 2050’s ozone levels will increase by up to 4.4% in many places in
north India particularly Uttar Pradesh.

Due to this there will be a decrease over forest patches of the western ghats in the
south of 3.4%

Climate change will adversely impact soil,moisture ,rains ,vegetation density etc
which will further impact the absorption of ozone .

Man made sources like vehicles,power plants or machines which uses fossil fuels
where the O3 component will increase by up to 45% in parts of North India.

Way forward :-

A policy is necessary to successfully reduce the effect of this pollutant.

General Studies – 4

Topic: Attitude; Emotional intelligence

Background:-

In the current world there are challenges with respect to climate change,water crisis
,growing violence ,terrorist activities so a leader with good temperament is very
necessary

Reasons why these are important are :-

Traits like personality, how well leaders can communicate, and their ability to
empathize, negotiate, and leadare necessary qualities for a great leader. For instance

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Jack Ma ‘s inspirational leadership

Emotionally intelligent people tend to be more authentic and transparent .At the
same time, they’re also able to keep their feelings in check and make well-informed
decisions, are incredibly resilient under pressure and display higher rates of empathy
.

In a study of more than 5000 leaders across multiple industries ,researchers

discovered that the best leaders were decisive and willing to take risks, but also more
self-aware and more thoughtful about how they engaged with family and coworkers.

They comprehend the needs and motivations of others, and in turn, calmly engage
with them under pressure in order to move decisions forward.

According to Harvard study the most successful leaders are:

Able to empathize and manage the emotions of other people

Self-aware but not egocentric

Able to keep their own emotions in check, while quickly thinking and problem-solving
around how their ideas will impact others

In the present world emotionally intelligent leaders are necessary to avoid conflicts
like north Korea Vs US,understand environmental ethics,maintain peace ,defend
minority rights etc.

Lack of such attributes especially in global leaders leads to intolerance,sectarian

violence ,religious persecutions,refugee crisis etc..

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