Year: 2016

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Dear Mitron,

I welcome you all to New Delhi for this landmark conference, the first after the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

First boley to maximum important for UPSC guys giving Prelims in 2017! Also research about Sendai Network and its predecessor. Kuch bhi pooch saktey hain.

2015 was a momentous year! Apart from the Sendai Framework, the international community adopted two other major frameworks to shape the future of humanity:

• – the Sustainable Development Goals,
• – and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change

For my UPSC Mitrons, make sure you have your notes made on both of them!

Disaster Risk Reduction has a pivotal role in supporting adaptation to climate change as well as sustainable development.

Use this line to flaunt your breadth of inter-connecting issues in your mains and essay papers!

Seven of the top ten countries in the world in terms of number of deaths due to disasters are in the Asia-Pacific. That’s a heck of a statistic to have!

A quarter century ago, only a handful of Asian nations had national disaster management institutions. Today, over thirty Asian countries have dedicated institutions leading disaster risk management efforts. After the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, the five worst affected countries brought in new laws for disaster risk management.

What has India done for Tsunami relief and preparedness?

Hint: We now have a fully functional Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System. Along with its Australian and Indonesian counterparts, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services is mandated to issue regional tsunami bulletins.

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10 point agenda for renewing our efforts towards disaster risk reduction

First, all development sectors must imbibe the principles of disaster risk management. This will ensure that all development projects – airports, roads, canals, hospitals, schools, bridges – are built to appropriate standards and contribute to the resilience of communities they seek to serve.

In India, the ‘housing for all’ programme and ‘smart cities’ initiative represent such opportunities.

Second, work towards risk coverage for all – starting from poor households to small and medium enterprises to multi-national corporations to nation states.

In India, we have taken bold steps to ensure financial inclusion and risk insurance for the poorest. The Jan Dhan Yojana has brought millions of people into the banking system. The Suraksha Bima Yojana provides risk insurance to millions who need it the most. We have launched the Fasal Bima Yojana, which will provide risk cover to millions of farmers.

Third, encourage greater involvement and leadership of women in disaster risk management. Women are disproportionately affected by disasters. They also have unique strengths and insights.

Fourth, invest in risk mapping globally. For mapping risks related to hazards such as earthquakes we have widely accepted standards and parameters. Based on these, in India, we have mapped seismic zones, with five as highest seismic risk and two as low risk.

Fifth, leverage technology to enhance the efficiency of our disaster risk management efforts

What are the technological efforts/ inventions from India’s side on Disaster Reduction Plan?

Sixth, develop a network of universities to work on disaster issues. After all, universities have social responsibilities too. Over the first five years of the Sendai Framework, we should develop a global network of universities working together on problems of disaster risk management.

Seventh, utilize the opportunities provided by social media and mobile technologies. Social media is transforming disaster response. How so?

Eighth, build on local capacity and initiative. The task of disaster risk management, particularly in rapidly growing economies, is so huge that formal institutions of the state can at best be instrumental in creating the enabling conditions.

Can you give instances of local involvement in India’s case?

Ninth, ensure that the opportunity to learn from a disaster is not wasted. After every disaster there are papers and reports on lessons learnt that are rarely applied.

And finally, bring about greater cohesion in international response to disasters.

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In India, we are committed to walk the talk on the implementation of Sendai Framework. In June this year, India’s National Disaster Management Plan was released which is aligned with the priorities set out in the Sendai Framework.

To read through related news on Disaster Management – Read this Newstrail

To read more by Confused Billi – click here

Everyday we read news, but do we do more than read it? The best way to learn from news is to find the issues and facts which we don’t know and research them. Starting today we will try to list some topics to help you do that.

Let’s call this the new avatar of #Back2Basics

Following topics are based on today’s news –

1. GST in the news once again! Since it is a topic which appears so frequently in the news, you must have read many articles and made notes. Answer these questions – Why is GST better than the present system? What is CGST and IGST? What is the purpose and composition of the GST Council?

If you can’t answer these in detail that means you haven’t made notes on them properly. Make these notes. – PRELIMS + MAINS

2. What is quantum communication? Why is it considered so secure? – PRELIMS

3. Lots of news about Sendai Framework. What is it? What is the legal framework for India’s disaster management? – PRELIMS + MAINS

4. Sharia banking in the news. Make notes on it. Include it under the notes you have for financial inclusion.

GS1 (Modern India)

Within a few years of coming back to India, Gandhiji had assumed leadership of the national movement. What could be the reasons for his rapid rise?

GS2 (Polity and Governance)

Recently large no. of people are moving away from their homes due to increasing conflicts. The most prominent examples of this include African and Syrian refugees in Europe. Minorities are also prosecuted in our neighbourhood. Hence, the govt. has recently been considering granting citizenship to minorities from our neighbours. In this regard, discuss the issues around the proposed amendments to the Citizenship Act, 1955.

Read these to get some information – Link 1 and Link 2.

GS3 (Science and Technology)

Genetic engineering has made tremendous progress recently. The newest, most powerful genome editing tool is called CRISPR. What is CRISPR? What are its applications and why are there concerns about it being misused?

Read this to get some information – Link

GS4 (Ethics)

There is a common perception that only criminals enter into politics. This means that criminals become our leaders. How would you change this perception? What steps should be taken to make politics a respectable career choice?

GS4 (Ethics)

There is a common perception that only criminals enter into politics. This means that criminals become our leaders. How would you change this perception? What steps should be taken to make politics a respectable career choice?

GS3 (Science and Technology)

Genetic engineering has made tremendous progress recently. The newest, most powerful genome editing tool is called CRISPR. What is CRISPR? What are its applications and why are there concerns about it being misused?

Read this to get some information – Link

GS2 (Polity and Governance)

Recently large no. of people are moving away from their homes due to increasing conflicts. The most prominent examples of this include African and Syrian refugees in Europe. Minorities are also prosecuted in our neighbourhood. Hence, the govt. has recently been considering granting citizenship to minorities from our neighbours. In this regard, discuss the issues around the proposed amendments to the Citizenship Act, 1955.

Read these to get some information – Link 1 and Link 2.

GS1 (Modern India)

Within a few years of coming back to India, Gandhiji had assumed leadership of the national movement. What could be the reasons for his rapid rise?

Fame is vapour, fortune an accident, riches have wings, only character endures.

Instructions: Write the following essay in 1000-1200 words.

Attached video contains feedback on the essays submitted by students.

1. Urjit Patel Committee appointed by the RBI, which is sometimes in news, is related to the

(a) demonetization of the high denomination currency notes

(b) strengthening of the monetary policy framework

(c) framework for dealing with systemically important banks

(d) guidelines for full capital account convertibility of rupee

2. RBI recently directed the banks to adopt Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR) for determining their respective base rates. Consider the following statements in this context:

1. Under the new regime, banks cannot lend below MCLR to any borrower.

2. MCLR regime is aimed at improving the transmission of policy rate cuts by RBI into the lending rate of the banks.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

3. Consider the following statements about the Priority Sector Lending Certificates (PSLCs):

1. PSLCs are tradable certificates issued against priority sector loans of banks.

2. PSLCs shall enable the banks to achieve their targets for priority sector lending.

3. Regional Rural Banks are not eligible for PSLC trading.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

4 Consider the following statements about recently launched Unified Payment Interface (UPI):

1. UPI has been launched by the Reserve Bank of India as a step towards the country’s gradual transformation to a cashless economy.

2. UPI is a payment system that allows money transfer between any two bank accounts by using a smartphone.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

5. At times, RBI raises the limits for the Foreign Currency Non-Resident (FCNR) accounts to shore-up foreign reserves. Consider the following statements about FCNR accounts:

1. These are savings accounts maintained by the NRIs and PIOs in foreign currency.

2. Any freely convertible currency can be maintained in the FCNR accounts.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

6. A report titled ‘An Economy for the 1%’ was recently brought out by

(a) World Trade Organisation

(b) World Economic Forum

(c) International Monetary Fund

(d) Oxfam International

7. Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is released every month by

(a) ASSOCHAM

(b) Confederation of Indian Industry

(c) Central Statistical Office

(d) National Sample Survey Organisation

8. Consider the following statements about the recently approved National Capital Goods Policy:

1. It shall be implemented by the Department of Heavy Industry.

2. It aims to increase the share of domestic production in India’s capital goods demand from 60% to 80% by 2025.

3. It aims to increase the share of capital goods in total manufacturing activity from 12% at present to 20% by 2025.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 2 and 3 only

(b) 1, 2 and 3

(c) 1 only

(d) 1 and 2 only

9. With reference to the history of British India, which of the following were founded by Warren Hastings?

1. Calcutta Madrassa

2. Asiatic Society of Bengal

3. Sanskrit College at Benaras

4. Fort William College

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4

(b) 1 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 2 and 4 only

10. Which of the following regions of India has the highest variation in the natural vegetation that covers it?

(a) Central Highlands

(b) Western Rajasthan

(c) North-Eastern India

(d) Western Ghats

11. Which of the following is/are international rivers flowing from one country to another?

1. Tista

2. Karnaphuli

3. Manas

4. Lohit

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) 1, 2 and 4

(b) 1 and 2

(c) 1, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

12. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?

1. Gulf of Guinea : Northern Africa

2. Kalahari Desert : Southern Africa

3. Mount Ankaratra : Western Africa

4. Lake Volta : Eastern Africa

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1, 3 and 4 only

(d) 2 and 4 only

13. In the first discovery of its kind, natural gas hydrates were recently discovered in the Krishna-Godavari basin. Consider the following statement in this context:

1. Natural gas hydrates are ice-like combination of natural gas and crude oil.

2. Natural gas hydrates are found only in the tropical regions.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

14. The New Development Bank recently issued the ‘green bonds’ for the first time. With which of the following groupings is the New Development Bank associated?

(a) SAARC

(b) BRICS

(c) IBSA

(d) BIMSTEC

15. What is the purpose of the ‘Project Insight’, a recent initiative of the government of India?

(a) To widen tax base by detecting tax evaders using technology

(b) To accommodate the views of the common man into policy initiatives

(c) To make the approval of the visa-requests faster and smoother by making it time bound

(d) To make the grants for R&D in higher education institutions result-bound

16. India’s first medical technology manufacturing cluster, Medipark, is to come up in

(a) Uttarakhand

(b) Maharashtra

(c) Tamil Nadu

(d) Madhya Pradesh

17. India and Russia recently came together to set up integrated irradiation centres in India to reduce agricultural losses. What is the main purpose of subjecting the food products to low dosage of radiation in such centres?

(a) To increase their nutritional value

(b) To increase their longevity and shelf life

(c) To prevent the loss of their nutritional content

(d) To hasten the ripening of the food products

18. The first ever ‘Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index’ to rank the States and the Union Territories on implementation of agro-reform measures has been launched recently by the

(a) Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

(b) Ministry of Agriculture and Family Welfare

(c) Ministry of Finance

(d) NITI Aayog

19. What is ‘Himansh’ which was recently in news?

(a) A new research station established by the Indian government in Antarctica to study the reasons for the narrowing of the ozone hole discovered over it

(b) A research station established in Spiti to study and quantify the Himalayan glacier responses towards the climate change

(c) A research facility established by the Indian government in the Arctic region to study the consequences of the Arctic melting

(d) A high-altitude radio telescope established in Ladakh to scan the space for intelligent alien life

20. Recently, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) transferred its technology of seaweed cultivation to the Andaman administration. Consider the following statements about in this context:

1. Seaweed cultivation is perceived as one of the most environmentally benign types of mariculture activity.

2. Seaweed Cultivation presents scope for improved access to alternative livelihoods.

3. Seaweeds are renewable sources of food and energy.

4. Seaweeds are valuable source of raw material for various industries including pharmaceuticals and fertilizers industries.

Which of the above statements is/are not correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 1 and 3

(c) 2, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

21. Consider the following statements about INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage):

1. It is an autonomous institution under Ministry of Culture.

2. It was founded to spearhead the heritage awareness and conservation in India.

3. It has recently tied up with Daricha Foundation to revive ‘Alpana’, a folk art of Bengal.

Select the correct alternative using the codes given below.

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

22. Consider the following:

1. Bank and Cheque Related Cases

2. Motor vehicle accident compensation cases

3. Civil Disputes

For disposal of which of the above are the Lok Adalats held?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

23. Consider the following statements:

1. An amendment to the ‘Motions of Thanks’ to the President for his address can be moved only in the Lok Sabha.

2. If an amendment to the ‘Motions of Thanks’ to the President for his address is passed, the government must resign.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

24. Which of the following statements about the judges of the Supreme Court is NOT correct?

(a) The retired judges are prohibited from pleading in any Court within the territory of India

(b) They can be removed from office by the President only in the manner and on the grounds mentioned in the Constitution

(c) Their salaries and allowances cannot be discussed by the Parliament

(d) They can resign from office by writing to the President

25. Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technique has been in news recently. In which of the following activities can this technique be used?

1. Archaeological Surveys

2. Mineral exploration

3. Vehicle Automation

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

P.S.: @Hi everyone, From Next Sunday Edition, I wanted it to be more subject specific. Are you game? Do let me know or should I continue with the admixture?