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Author: Root

  • Roundup of the week (March 27 – April 2) – IR

     

    #2. Nuclear Security Summit 2016 (last summit)

    Imp facts for prelims

    – The first Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington, DC in 2010, and was followed by Seoul in 2012 and The Hague in 2014 and again in Washington in 2016

    – There is no new organisation being set up, three existing institutions are expected to adopt specific action plan <UN, IAEA and Interpol>

    – NSS covers nuclear material only for non-military purposes, 83% of the nuclear material falls outside its ambit

    – Russia did not attend the summit

    Threat of nuclear terrorism and need for enhanced nuclear security assumes importance as one of the Brussels suicide bomber was found to have tracked the movement of a senior official of a Belgian nuclear power plant. Also the ISIS has shown it’s interest in acquiring nuclear weapons.

    Threats of nuclear terrorism

    #1. Acquiring a nuclear weapon from the arsenal of a nuclear state <very unlikely and even if they do acquire, if would be difficult for them to mount them on missiles and launch. Also a code has to be broken before nuclear bombs can be launched>.

    #2. Acquiring enough fissile material to construct an improvised nuclear device <again unlikely as first getting enough material is difficult, techology f bomb making even more challenging>

    #3. Acquiring radioactive material from civilian sources such as hospitals or university laboratories, mixing them up with conventional explosives to make a radioactive dispersal device or ‘dirty bomb <most likely scenario as security and tracking is not foolproof in such places. Though damage would be limited but mass panic and hysteria plus cost of clean up>

    #4. Sabotage a nuclear facility leading to large-scale loss of lives and destruction <have already tried to do that in Pak>

    In this context, Pakistan becomes a dangerous state as it is installing short range tactical nuclear weapons and they are mounted on battlefield and thus more susceptible to being acquired by terrorists<What’s the difference b/w tactical and strategic weapons. Answer in comments.>

    What has Summit achieved so far?

    – About 15 MT of highly enriched uranium (HEU) have been down- blended to low-enriched uranium <can you tell us the difference b/s HEU and LEU>

    – A number of reactors using HEU have either been shut down or switched their fuel

    – 12 countries have given up all HEU, and fuel repatriation to source countries has been accelerated

    However the major drawback of this process is that there is no legally binding outcome at the end of six years

    What is the outcome of this summit

    Amendment to nuclear security treaty that would tighten protections against nuclear theft and smuggling

    What has PM Modi announced?

    – Accord a high national priority to nuclear security through strong institutional framework, independent regulatory agency and trained and specialized manpower.

    – Development and deployment of technology to deter and defend against nuclear terrorism including physical and cyber barriers, technological approaches, setting up a facility for medical grade ‘Moly-99’ using low enriched Uranium and using vitrified forms of vulnerable radioisotopes such as Ceasium-137,

    – Counter nuclear smuggling and strengthen the national detection architecture for nuclear and radioactive material< dedicated counter-nuclear smuggling team has been set up>

    – 1m$ contribution to the nuclear security fund  of IAEA. A workshop with IAEA experts on International Physical Protection Assessment Service (IPPAS) will also be held in India

    – Sharing of best practices through Centres of Excellence such as our own

    – Host a meeting of Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism in 2017.

    – International conference on countering nuclear smuggling is also being planned with Interpol

    These are very very important points for pelims as well as mains <Moly 99, vitrified cesium, IPPAS etc> <Btw what’s the difference b/w nuclear safety and security? Answer in comments.>

    #3. India-EU summit

    EU-28 is India’s largest trading partner and biggest source of FDI <which country is our largest trading partner? Which country is our no.1 export market and which country export us the most? answers in comments>.

    The EU-India strategic partnership was launched in 2004. The last summit i.e. 12th edition was held in 2012 in New Delhi

    Outcomes of the summit

    ‘EU-India Agenda for Action 2020‘ as a common road map for the strategic partnership in the next five years

    Terrorism: Joint Declaration on Counter-terrorism to step up cooperation to counter radicalisation and violent extremism

    Climate Change -Joint Declaration on a Clean Energy and Climate Partnership

    Loan assistance to Lucknow Metro by European Investment Bank (EIB)

    Water Partnership: enhance cooperation on environment issues, including on the ‘Clean Ganga’ and ‘Clean India’ flagship programmes.

    Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement: extend this agreement until 2020 to boost innovation and research in India and Europe.

    Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility: aimed at organising regular migration and prevention of irregular migration and human trafficking.

    Broad Based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)

    It has been pending since 2007 and was suspended last year when EU imposed ban against more than 700 generic drugs . Both sides have agreed to resume negotiations

    What’s holding back the signing of BTIA

    India’s interests

    #1. Greater market accesses to its professionals (MODE 4 of GATS)

    #2. Data Secure status to allow SMEs to compete in BPO, KPO space (Mode 1 of GATS)- he high cost of compliance with existing EU’s data protection laws and procedures renders Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) un-competitive <what is data secure status? Answer in comments>

    #3. EU To reduce its agriculture subsidies

    EU’s demands

    #1. Lowering of tariffs on automobiles and wine spirits and dairy products

    #2. But tariff cuts in the agricultural sector would mean Europe’s heavily subsidised agro industry will dump its surplus here, hitting Indian farmers <INdia’s concern>

    #3. Further liberalization of FDI in multi-brand retail and insurance, and presently closed sectors like accountancy and legal services <Mode 3 of WTO)

    #4. TRIPS + IPR regime- data exclusivity protection measures (which allow pharmaceutical companies to exclusively retain rights to their test results for a certain period) would delay the supply of Indian generic medicines <strict no no for India) <what is data exclusivity? Answer in comments>

    We shall explain GATS and TRIPS plus in detail in separate article on WTO.

     

    #4. PM’s visit to Saudi Arabia

    #1. Saudi Arabia is our largest supplier of oil (20%) and the fourth largest trading partner s><who is the largest trading partner? Answer in comment>

    #2. The population of Indian expats in the Kingdom is estimated to be around 2.96m ( of our 7m diaspora in West Asia ).

    #3. The Saudi king is the custodian of the two holy mosques and this matters a great deal to India’s 170 million Muslims, the country’s largest religious minority.

    In 2010 on PM Singh’s visit to Riyadh, ties were elevated to the status of strategic partnership. Since then intelligence and security cooperation has expanded manifold and Saudi extradited Abu Jindal to India.

    Focus areas

    – Counter terrorism <deradicalization, counter radicalization and intelligence cooperation>

    – Military cooperation-Training and Joint execrcises

    – Trade and investment <attracting Saudi investment into infrastructure. Investment so far has been below par>

    Tight rope walk

    – Balancing relations with Saudi , Iran and Israel at the same time

    – India’s stand on war in Syria and Yemen

    Aim

    To dehyphenate India from Pak where relationship with Saudi is concerned as Stronger relationships with Pakistan’s allies can help India get a more sympathetic hearing on global and regional forums and put pressure on Islamabad to rein in militants.

  • Roundup of the week (March 27 – April 2) – Economics

    Part 1 discusses FDI in e-commerce

    #1. FDI in e-commerce

    Before coming to the actual policy announcement and nitty gritty of that, it’s important to understand some basics without going into technical details (various comments on our e commerce story).

    What is e commerce?

    Simple, electronic commerce i.e buying and selling of goods and services using electronic or digital means

    It can be done many ways

    #1. Inventory led model – It’s simply like your kirana store or Walmart if you will i.e. you own what you sell. Suppose, I want to open my e commerce firm. I will start mt website (drvbaniyastore.com) buy and stock all the goods I want to sell and deliver them to consumers. It’s actual retailing.

    #2. Marketplace model– It’s like your mall, say select city walk Saket . Different vendors, Lewis, Svmsung, apple, individual service providers (mobile repair shop) etc can open their shops in the mall. Consumer comes to mall, shops from different vendors, Mall only connect buyers to consumers. So, if I want to start my own e commerce firm, I will start my website, different vendors will be listed on my website, consumers will choose products they like from vendor they like. My task would only be to connect consumers to vendors and producers.

    #3. Hybrid model- mix of both

    Then there is B2B and B2C.

    B2B or business to business– It’s like wholesaler or producer shipping goods to retailers i.e. they do not supply goods directly to consumers. For instance, consider apple factory which would supply iphones only to retailers like mobile store.

    B2C or business to consumer-  It’s like your kirana store, actual retailing.

    So, what was the policy until now?

    # Until now, 100% FDI in B2B commerce was allowed.

    # FDI in multi brand retail though allowed at 51% (announced by UPA govt in 2012) comes with many riders and present govt does not support the policy. Effectively FDI in multibrand retail is not allowed.

    # There was complete lack of clarity with regard to FDI in e commerce (market place model)

    e commerce firms took advantage of this vacuum and confusion to bring FDI through complex structures and this policy attempts to bring some clarity and sanity in this sector.

    What’s new in the policy that is making headlines?

    Policy allows 100% FDI by automatic route in e commerce market place model <makes eminent sense, they are just connecting buyers and sellers>. Flipkarts and Amazons and Snapdeals were already opearting under this model and policy merely makes de jure what has hitherto been de facto. <Tell us the meaning of de jure and de facto in comments>

    It restrict sells from a single vendor to maximum of 25% <makes sense, in a well functioning market, one vendor should not be allowed to concentrate all the sales>. But problem is for both Amazon and Flipkart their biggest vendor account for >40% of sales.

    the responsibility for both delivery and quality of the product and related warranties will lie with the seller <again makes sense, if you buy some product from a store in mall, you don’t go to mall manager to claim your warranty but manager of that particular shop. But think what happens to that Flipkart advertisement about return of goods. Does not appear a consumer friendly initiative>

    But e-commerce firms can provide support services to sellers, including warehousing, logistics, call centres and payment collection <makes sense to me. Even a mall provides some support services to it’s vendors>

    prohibits ventures from “directly or indirectly” influencing the sale price of goods <makes sense, whatever discounts etc are given, are given by vendors not malls so how can Amazon give you discount> i.e vendors can still offer discounts but marketplace i.e amazons and Flipkarts of this world can’t influence prices.

    This indirectly provision is very interesting.

    Let’s see at present how discounts work <indirectly influencing the prices> step by step

    #1. Amazon recommends the amount of discounts to its sellers on products, but doesn’t force them to adopt these suggested prices.

    #2. Sellers, however, end up keeping these suggested prices because Amazon finances the discounts

    #3. At the end of a certain period, sellers send a debit note to Amazon. This note contains the amount of discount that the seller gave on apparel, electronics, toys and other products sold on the site.

    #4. Amazon then pays the seller by cheque.

    All of it is shown as promotional funding/ marketing expense. Of course, we can all see how Amazon is trying to bypass regulations.

    #1. It disallows any FDI in inventory led model <again makes sense. Inventory led model is actual retailing. If you don’t allow FDI in multi brand retail how can you allow FDI in retailing through backdoor using digital means>

    #2. By the same logic, hybrid products are also disallowed <they include component of inventory>

    One major effect of disallowing FDI in inventory led model is that e tailers who were selling goods with their brands will no longer be able to do so. <You are the owner of your own brand i.e you own inventory and FDI there is not allowed. This might create problem for Myntras of this world who sell their own fashion brands but also other brands>

    But 100% FDI was already allowed in single brand retail i.e Nike can sell it’s own product but products of no other brand. This policy allows Nike to sell their branded product online also.

    Announcements related to e commerce in the past

    #1. Budget allowed 100% FDI in marketing of food products produced and manufactured in India.

    #2. In November last year, the government allowed a manufacturer to sell its products manufactured in India through retail e-commerce.

    Now let’s come to the larger issue of merits and demerits of the policy

    – Policy clarifies the provisions wrt marketplace model. There were concerns that even this was not allowed <there are cases in high courts, ED is investigating claims of FEMA violation. Btw can you tell us someyhing about FEMA and FERA? Answer in comments>

    – Unambiguous stance on inventory led model

    But why does govt not permit FDI in multi brand retail?

    simple- Employment/Jobs- Largest employer outside agriculture. Concern that Walmarts and Tescos of this world will wipe out your kirana stores. <both sides cite their own studies>

    What’s the problem with discount? They were helping consumers, no?

    Opponents say that those discounts are example of predatory pricing. These companies are incurring massive losses due to discounts but are acquiring customers. Venture capital and private equity backing them have deep pockets. They will discount till they drive competitors <your kirana store> out of market and then enjoy an oligopoly.And in any case how can a marketplace offer discounts. They should be offered by vendors <can you differentiate venture capital, angel investor and private equity>

    Concerns of JNU Jhola Chaap Professors and Jholachaaps sitting in RSTV studios

    #1. It’s clear they were violating the law earlier. Instead of punishing them, govt is actually rewarding them by legitimizing their business.

    #2. They will keep on violating the law i.e employ inventory led model, deep discounts etc with impunity<they know govt will legitimize that too>

    #3. Even if govt wanted to take action, govt does not have the capacity to monitor their businesses and take action

    #4. Influencing prices directly or indirectly is too vaguely worded and their hotshot lawyers will take care of this provision

    #5. It will hurt interests of small kirna stores and ultimately consumers

    My take (obviously shamelessly borrowed  from multiple sources)-

    #1. It seems like a good policy which bring clarity to the sector.

    #2. Supply chain efficiency and multi brand retail will ultimately be required to build warehouses and store agri and other products.

    #3. We need not fear the foreign competition but empower our kirana stores to become more efficient and cost competitive. They will be forced to innovate and that’s good thing.

    #4. Govt’s role is to provide social safety nets not to prevent technological disruption.

    #5. Of course all anti competitive practices, price rigging etc should be strictly dealt with and for this we need to empower competition commission of India both by a better statute and better financial and human resources.

    Please follow this story -E coomerce the new boom – to read live running commentary in newscards on e commerce

    If you want to read more, these four Livemint articles will provide you the best understanding

    1. Half-Hearted attempt to liberalize
    2. Govt allows 100% FDI in eCommerce
    3. Will it stop online discounts
    4. Govt warns on discounts

    Update on Solar Dispute in WTO (covered in last round up)

    #1. By focusing its arguments (or future measures) on the goal of developing a manufacturing capacity that serves a domestic demand not adequately served by international markets, India might have greater success

    #2. Given the breadth of local content requirements within the United States, India could also eventually bring a claim against the United States based on these programmes.

  • Bharat Darshan: IAS Winter Study tour’s experience

    “Not all who wander are lost”, so it is said. But as one sits down to put pen to paper in order to recount all that one has seen over two months, one feels distinctly at a loss. Not for want of words to describe the unparalleled experience, but to undertake the herculean task of squeezing in the two months into a thousand words. What lies below is a microcosm of the phenomenal experience we had during the perceptibly best part of our training- the Winter Study Tour.

    Being born to parents living a constantly peripatetic existence, one has looked upon travel as an indispensable part of life.

    Having lived in London for almost four years before I decided to return to Indian shores and write the UPSC exam, I had been planning to undertake a tour across the country to familiarize and reconnect with the land and its people. Much akin to Mahatma Gandhi, who upon his return to India in 1915, was advised by his political guru Gokhale, to travel across India to know the great country, its people, its past and its practices, to appreciate its present. Shakespeare, in Hamlet echoes this sentiment: ‘There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy’.

    While travelling, one often questioned the very raison d’être of the Winter Study Tour (WST), colloquially called Bharat Darshan. The WST manual graciously reads that, “the Course Team believes that you will find the WST to be an enriching experience”. Travelling, unpacking and then re-packing every alternate day does not give the idea of an ‘enriching experience’, however, it is only when one reflects upon the amazing journey in hindsight, that one is compelled to agree with the Course Team.

    Major Akash Tapadiya: Ordinary men, extraordinary deeds

    Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Bharat Darshan was the inspirational array of people we met, from all walks of life. One such was Major Akash Tapadiya, of the Chinar Corps of the Indian Army, posted in Tangdhar- India’s westernmost post in LoC, which juts inside Pakistan! A month before we landed in Tangdhar he had been involved in a counter-infiltration operation, where he and his men lay a fourteen-hour ambush to apprehend terrorists crossing the border. Caught in the crossfire, he lost two men, got shot at, yet with tenacity managed to capture three terrorists, and also walked 10 kms in snow all the way back to base-camp with a wounded leg! For his act of bravery and sheer grit he was awarded the Sena Medal this Republic Day, which he dedicated to the Nation and his Regiment.

    Valiant soldiers are not the only ones in service of the nation. We met a group of doctors from AIIMS in Delhi, who had given up their successful and lucrative professions to relocate to a remote district in Chhattisgarh, to serve the local tribal population and run a not-for-profit health centre called the Jan Swasthya Sahyog (JSS). Health indicators of this tribal area were abysmal: high infant and maternal mortality rates, extreme prevalence of fatality due to preventable diseases and absolutely minimal access to healthcare. JSS had brought low-cost world-class healthcare to the most backward region of the country. The doctors were selflessly devoting their lives for the most neglected section of the society and were espousing a truly replicable model of low-cost, accessible healthcare.

    Going the extra mile at Mandla district

    A collector and CEO-ZP duo of Mandla district showed us how just going that extra mile can bring transformation in the lives of many. They had been instrumental in envisioning and running a unique model of schools called the Excellence Schools that focused on technological interventions in teaching.

    They ran an award-winning ‘100 Kalam’ project that provided special training to tribal children of Mandla for competitive exams, with some of them even cracking exams like IIT!

    If common traits were to be picked, these inspiring men and women showed absolute devotion to their job, selfless service to their fellowmen, and a sense of commitment to their vision. As Eleanor Roosevelt aptly articulated, ‘the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams’.

    The dazzling diversity of our Indian subcontinent

    Starting our journey from the summit of Jammu and Kashmir, we meandered through the length of India to end our magnificent excursion down south in Lakshadweep. We passed such diversity of landscapes that it looked like a kaleidoscope of colours.

    While on one hand we trudged the snow-peaked ridges of Greater Himalayas, on the other we were speechless onlookers to the vibrancy of colours of corals and fishes in the shallow waters of Arabian Sea. From the lapping waters of Vizag beaches to the reclusive tigers of Kanha forest, from monumental temples of South to arched shrines of North, we traversed the extent of the country, witnessing a smorgasbord of variety, not just in language, culture, creeds, customs and colours, but truly in spirit. It is this diversity that quintessentially unites us.

    The plethora of gourmet delights we experienced left our palettes rekindled. From Malabar fish curry to Jigar-thanda (a sweet from Madurai), from Kashmiri wazwan to kebabs of Bhopal, from pedhas of Agra to fondues of Kerala, the senses were truly revived!

    There was no paucity of adventurism in the group and each of us wanted to experience it all. From trekking in Kashmir Himalayas to snorkeling and scuba diving in Lakshadweep, from laying night ambush with the jawans in the Army to tracking the tiger-trail in Kanha, we all seemed to have a common agenda- to make the most of this lifetime experience.

    From the cities to the margins: The challenges of governing India

    As diverse the spread of this country, as variegated are the challenges to governance. One of the major objectives of Bharat Darshan is to acquaint the new officers with the difficulties of delivery of public service.

    We saw similar impediments to governance across the country. In rural areas, the same problems afflicted the governments of the day- implementation of govt. schemes, provision of basic services- education and health care, income support to the poor and underprivileged, provision of productive assets to the impoverished and securing the future of teeming millions of the population dependent on land.

    Even our cities face analogous challenges- an acute lack of basic services like sanitation, housing, water supply; abysmal state of urban infrastructure; loss of community life and urban culture and unsustainable urban sprawl. While our urban centres face extreme depredation from rising populations and unplanned growth, we have made our cities unlivable even though they account for almost two-thirds of our GDP.

    As much in physical infrastructure, more so in human facilities that administration’s real challenge lies. A visit to one of India’s oldest private sector enterprises demonstrated that governments had failed to develop private productive capacity, infuse competition and encourage entrepreneurship. Mere lip service to ideals, with elusive goals of becoming a manufacturing giant, would not make programs like ‘Make in India’ successful.

    Our battle is not with resource constraint anymore, but with resource allocation. Be it land, finance or skilled labour, resource re-distribution and transfer of ownership of productive capital, have affected whole gamut of industries- from coal-mining which we saw at Southern Coalfields to heavy metals evidenced in poor performance of BHEL.

    A plethora of formidable challenges face present-day administrators. Preservation of our resources- ecology, traditional customs and practices or art and culture, is a pressing one. Many artifacts of national heritage lie uncared for, like the 200-year old “Company-style paintings” we found abandoned in a forgotten corner of Bangalore’s library; or the defacing palace of the Raja of Madurai. There is also an urgent need to invest in scientific and technological advancements and move people away from superstitious beliefs. We evidenced a tribal community in Chhattisgarh refusing healthcare interventions and preferring occult practices, even such as beating neonates and keeping lactating mothers hungry for days. These diabolical practices fly in the face of reason. We must instill scientific temper and a spirit of enquiry in the people of this nation, so that we may embrace scientific developments and not be suspicious of technological interventions that can bridge the last mile.

    The magnitude of our challenges has not yet been met with the measure of our actions. Administrators face a tall order, and almost consistently across the country confront similar challenges.

    Method to the madness – Learning from best practices

    One of the key objectives of the Bharat Darshan is to provide Officer Trainees with nuggets of insights that would hold us in good stead, once we assume our roles in the field. An abundance of best practices were observed on our travels that one would want to replicate in one’s own career. Be they in urban development like the city administration model of Greater Vizag Municipal Corporation with planned progress towards making Vizag a “smart and resilient city”; or in slum redevelopment by the Bangalore Slum Development Board and the innovative “sheer wall” house design they had devised; or in the implementation of Govt. schemes like the well-acknowledged Lado Abhiyan of M.P Govt, there were lesson galore!

    One hopes to inculcate many practices observed during the WST that would not only help us in becoming more efficient public servants but also make us more effective in our professional and personal lives. We learnt from observing scientists at ISRO’s Sriharikota Space Centre that excellence can be imbibed as a way of life. From the city planners of Vizag we learnt that participative approach to development can be instilled in every facet of governance. From self-help groups of women in Andhra Pradesh, we learnt that for the marginalized, strength lies in numbers. From the selfless service of doctors of JSS in Chhattisgarh we observed that we must endeavour towards higher and nobler ideals in all that we do.

    We covered a great length in a short time, and were still left wanting for more. What we take back is not merely a collage of memories, but a glimpse into the life-force which is the essence of this country. We carry with us images of this land and its people, and insights into administration and what that entails for a nation like India. As one reflects over the two months of travel, one cannot but feel that the Winter Study Tour has truly been an “enriching experience”, as predicted by the Course Team. This Bharat Darshan would carry lessons for us well into our future and most gratifyingly if we can imbibe some of the learnings in our professional lives as public servants. As eloquently expressed by T.S. Eliot, on the rewards of travelling:

    “We shall not cease from exploration.
    And the end of all our exploring,
    Would be to arrive where we started,
    And know the place for the first time”

    Source: Aditi Garg’s blog (IAS 2015 – Rank 54)

  • Keep Going

     

    You keep going because, what’s the alternative? Give up? Chalk it up to what “could have” been? Tell yourself that you don’t deserve it? Say you’ll try again some other day? Put it off until tomorrow?

    The only thing that matters and the thing that separates failure and success is that you keep going — you keep trying — and you keep moving forward.

    Even when it sucks. Especially when it sucks. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard. That’s when you keep going. That’s when the world needs your effort the most. When you dig deeper.

    The world does need you effort, your passion, and your momentum.

    Think about a world if no one kept going. Think about your life if you never kept going. We wouldn’t be “here”. We’d be “back there”. And “back there” — lingering in the past, dwelling on what could’ve been — is a dark and scary and demotivating place.

    I tell myself to keep going all the time. Almost every day. Sometimes about little things, and sometimes about really big, scary things.

    Keep going. I need you to, the world needs you to, and you need to. When you do, wonderful, amazing, game-changing things happen.

  • Did you check out the calendar widget on the NEWS tab?

    Hello,

    Now news is easy to access and revise! We have introduced a calendar widget on the NEWS tab so that you can hop on & around and date of any month and read the connected NEWS summaries of a particular day.

    Click on the “green text on top of every newscard” to go to the connected story so that you find a better analysis of the theme in full.

    We have been working on our STORY pages and have consolidated the CD explains articles under them so that you get everything under the same roof

    What’s more! NEWS is available in HINDI as well. Toggle the language switch on top right of the webpage.

  • Civils Digest in HINDI – First edition released | Pay what you want

    प्रिय साथियों,

    ‘सिविल्स डाइजेस्ट’ का प्रथम हिंदी अंक आपके हाथों में है। इसके प्रकाशन के पीछे कोई व्यावसायिक कारण न होकर एक ऐसी ज़रूरत है जिसके लिए हमने हिंदी माध्यम के साथियों को परेशान होते हुए देखा है। आप जानते हैं कि ‘द हिंदू’ समाचार पत्र पढ़ना सिविल सेवा की तैयारी का एक अनिवार्य अंग है, लेकिन हमारे बहुत से ऐसे साथी हैं जिन्हें अंग्रेजी पढ़ने या समझने में कई तरह की समस्याओं से दो चार होना पड़ता है। ऐसा नहीं है कि उन्हें अंग्रेजी नहीं आती बल्कि इसे ऐसे समझिये कि अंग्रेजी कभी उनकी पहली भाषा नहीं रही। यही कारण है कि हमारे अधिकांश साथी ‘द हिंदू’ या ‘इंडियन एक्सप्रेस’ जैसे समाचार पत्र चाहकर भी नहीं पढ़ पाते, या पढ़ते भी हैं तो हिंदी की अपेक्षा उन्हें उसमें दोगुना समय लगता है। हमने जब इस बारे में सोचा तो पहले पहल मूल हिंदी में एक पत्रिका निकालने का निर्णय लिया किंतु फिर पाया कि करंट अफेयर्स संबंधी पत्रिकाओं के बाज़ार में यह महज़ उनकी संख्या बढ़ाने से अधिक कुछ नहीं होगा। क्यों न कुछ ऐसा किया जाए कि हिंदी में ही अंग्रेजी की वे ख़बरें मिलें जो हिंदी अख़बारों में ढूँढे नहीं मिलती। हमने इस विषय में बहुत से अभ्यर्थियों से बात की और अंतिम में इस निर्णय पर पहुंचे कि हम ‘द हिंदू’ और अन्य प्रमुख अंग्रेजी अख़बारों की महत्वपूर्ण ख़बरों(जो सक्षिप्त कर ‘सिविल्स डेली’ एप्लीकेशन पर आपको उपलब्ध कराई जाती हैं) का हिंदी अनुवाद आप तक पहुंचाएंगे। यह पत्रिका उसी निर्णय का परिणाम है।

    इस अंक में आप फरवरी माह में ‘सिविल्स डेली’ पर अपलोड हुई सभी ख़बरों का हिंदी अनुवाद पढ़ सकेंगे, साथ ही इसमें आपको तिथिवार क्रम से उन पारिभाषिक शब्दों का भी विस्तृत अनुवाद मिलेगा जिन्हें जानने की जिज्ञासा ख़बर पढ़ते समय आपके भीतर बनी रहती है। यहाँ यह बताना आवश्यक है कि अनुवाद करते समय इस बात का पूरा ख्याल रखा गया है कि कहीं कोई तथ्यात्मक ग़लती न हो और न ही अंग्रेजी में प्रकाशित किसी सामग्री की मूल भावना में कोई अंतर आए। फिर भी हम पूरी ईमानदारी से इस बात को स्वीकार करते हैं कि ऐसी बहुत सी जगहें होंगी जहाँ आपको कमियाँ नज़र आएँगी। उन कमियों को दूर करने और अगला अंक इससे बेहतर बनाने के लिए हम आपसे सुझावों की अपेक्षा करते हैं।

    इस अंक के हिंदी अनुवाद में प्रमोद कोंसवाल, संचिता, देवेश और तनय का हमें सहयोग मिला। हिंदी माध्यम के साथियों की ज़रूरतों को समझते हुए हम जल्द ही ‘सिविल्स डेली’ एप्लीकेशन का हिंदी संस्करण भी लॉन्च करेंगे जिसकी सूचना आपको यथाशीघ्र दे दी जाएगी। तब तक आप इस पत्रिका को पढ़िए, अपने मित्रों को पढ़वाईये और आपके मन में जो भी हो नीचे लिखे मेल आईडी पर भेज दीजिये।
    शुभकामनाएं

    सिविल्स डेली

    (email: hello@civilsdaily.com)

    Download link – https://www.instamojo.com/civilsdaily/civils-digest-march-hindi-edition/

  • Roundup of the week (March 20 – March 26)

    1. Terrorist attack in Brussels

    Attacks by ISIS on airport and metro station came close on the heels of massacre in Paris (nov 2016). Also, they came 4 days after lone surviving mastermind of Paris attacks was apprehended by Police. It clearly shows that ISIS is demonstrating that it is capable of striking at will.

    But why Brussels?

    1. Symbolism- Brussels is headquarters of NATO as well as European Union.
    2. Divided nation– Belgium is divided b/w French (Walloon actually) and Dutch (Flemish actually) speaking population. In almost all walks of public life there’s compromise. Flemish don’t/ can’t vote for Walloon candidates, so accountability is not to the whole populace but to the linguistic community
    3. Weak institutions – Divided accountability results in weak institutions, intelligence sharing is particularly poor.
    4. Marginalized Muslim population– about 7% of Belgian population is Muslim, most of which lives in ghettos, breading discontent. <You can say that, this is the most imp cause and should have been the first point but many commentators have begun to argue that poverty is not the main cause of terrorism> 

    You can read more about why Belgium in this The Hindu Oped  <not recommended for exams, can safely avoid thia>

    In per capita terms, Belgium has supplied most foreign fighters to ISIS.

    So why is ISIS striking western capitals?

    1. Russian and American airstrikes have shrunk ISIS territory in Iraq and Syria. By striking they are taking battle to European heartland.
    2. They get media coverage, shows them winning, helps attract more recruits
    3. Terrorism is to spread terror and this helps spread terror and panic.
    4. It also leads to further polarization of society, backlash against ordinary Muslims, helps their propaganda that Muslims all over the world are being persecuted, helps in recruitment.

    Read this The Hindu editorial- Message is Brussels attack

    But why are so many foreign fighters joining ISIS?

    Around 5000 foreign fighters (500 of them from Belgium) have left comfort of their homes and traveled 1000s of mile to join marauding army of ISIS in the hope of achieving salvation.

    1. Std response of jhola chaap JNU wallahs– high poverty, unemployment rate among Muslims. Lack of integration, Ghettoisation, marginalization of whole community which breeds discontent leading to them joining terrorist organizations. <read this Praveen Swami oped to know why Jholachaaps are wrong>
    2. Sleek propaganda / psych war by ISIS– by selectively quoting verses from Quran and Hadith, they make faithfuls belief that it was the right course of action which would take them to Jannat. That is what God ordered.
    3. Seduction of violence for a higher cause– violence leading to spiritual redemption

    But didn’t president Obama vow to defeat and ultimately degrade ISIS? What needs to be done now?

    You all know what happened to Obama’s red lines on chemical weapons use in Syria. Don’t take him seriously (just kidding).

    USA and Russia did launch airstrikes and it has resulted in containment and shrinkage of ISIS territory in middle east but problem is made worse by the raging civil war in Syria and sectarian strife in wider middle east in which Russia and USA are on the opposite sides of the spectrum. While USA along with sunni Arab monarchs and Turkey wants regime change in Syria, Russia is on the side of regime in Syria. No coordinated strategy against ISIS is possible in this context resulting in ISIS being still able to recruit more and more foreign fighters.

    What needs to be done-

    1. Recognize ISIS as the major and primary threat and converge on the strategy to defeat ISIS. Gradual transition of power in Syria <unlikely to be done, Saudis and Turkey won’t agree though Syrian peace process presents an opportunity>.
    2. Problem has to be tackled at the source i.e Syria and here support of Syrian army and govt would be necessary <again Syrian peace process assumes importance>
    3. For launching Jihad by Khalifa <which Abu Baghdadi claims himself to be>, territory is required,. If ISIS is defeated from Syria, in strict theocratic sense, there can’t be any Khilafat, attraction of ISIS which increase after the declaration of Khaliphate will come down.
    4. Counter radicalisation/ deradicalisation strategy- This war is war of ideas. It can’t be won with bombs and bullets. We will have to present a counter narrative which is equally exciting, equally sleek and is drawn from same religious scriptures.
    5. In this counter narrative, role of Muslim clergy becomes important. They will have to drive home the moderate interpretation of Quran everyday, not just when a terrorist attack occurs. <Listen to Tahir Ul Qadri’s speech at Sufi conference>
    6. And yes it goes without saying-better jobs, better education, better integration and no backlash when such attacks happen <terrorists want to polarise the society>

    India has just taken the right step by organizing the World Sufi Conference which highlighted moderate and liberal aspect of Muslim tradition.  PM showered praise on Sufism and spoke about how it has contributed to a spirit of peace and harmony.

    2. Russian troop withdrawal from Syria

    Putin announced this on 14th march <not exactly this week but RSTV discussion occurred on Sunday>. So what’s going on in Putin’s mind?What does it mean for regime in Syria and Syrian peace talks?

    1. Russian intervention has changed the balance of power in Syria. Regime which was losing territory when Russia moved in has now regained control.
    2. By withdrawing it’s troops Russia is also sending Assad signals to engage in peace talks.
    3. Putin has also once again brought Russia as a major player in international politics which western countries did not accept after fall of Soviet Union.

    Make no mistake, Russia has kept all it’s naval presence in Mediterranean, air force is still operating from Latakia airbase to preclude any chances of West declaring unilateral no fly zone over Syria.

    You all know, this conflict has a sectarian shia-sunni dimension. So question for you- Name Shia majority countries of this world. Answer in comments.

    Read this Hindu Editorial – An opportunity for peace in Syria and Watch this RSTV discussion

    3. Solar panel Dispute – India and WTO

    Dispute has been going on for quite some time. Basically to promote clean energy and manufacturing in India, GOI decided to buy powers from solar power generators (of course at better terms) but with the condition that they have to source (buy) solar cell and solar modules from Indian vendors i.e there was domestic content requirement (DCR). Uncle Sam (USA) did not like this , not one bit and complained in WTO.

    USA’s arguments – which were ultimately accepted by WTO dispute settlement body-

    1. DCR violates Trade related Investment measures (TRIMs) provisions
    2. DCR violates national treatment clause <once a product has entered a country, it will be treated the same as domestic product regardless of where it comes from>, non discrimination clause
    3. That it has resulted in injury to US manufactures <exports to India went down by 90%)

    India’s response – rejected by WTO

    1. It’s for govt procurement which is outside the scope of WTO agreements – rebuttal– govt was procuring electricity not solar modules, solar cells on which there was DCR
    2. General exception clause-necessary to secure compliance with its domestic and international law obligations relating to ecologically sustainable development and climate change. rebuttal- 1st there is no such obligation, 2nd, you can secure such compliance with imported solar modules
    3. Only 5% of total power requirement was under this rule

    Now India has decided to appeal against the verdict of dispute settlement body.

    Let’s understand in brief how WTO dispute settlement works

    1. You don’t like what other country is doing, raise a complaint with WTO
    2. 1st step is mediation, talk with the other country, see if problem can be resolved
    3. No resolution, a dispute settlement panel is formed, hears both parties, gives it’s verdicts
    4. Not satisfied with it’s orders, appeal with the appellate body, decision is final
    5. What if country doesn’t comply with the orders? well there’s very little that WTO can do. Other country is free to take retaliatory measures.

    Talks of promoting clean energy <100k MW solar>, sustainable development in this question is pure BS. You agree to play by rules, so play by rules. If you don’t like them in the light of changed circumstances, negotiate and change the rules. <btw, can you tell us the break up of india’s clean energy target, how much grid connected solar, off grid, roof top, wind, bio-fuel etc? Answer in comments.>

    4. Real Estate Regulation Bill

    This bill which has now become an act basically tries to do a few things-

    1. Establish a real estate authority and tribunal
    2. Developers, brokers and projects all three have to register with the authority
    3. Transparency – disclosing all the details of the project like carpet ares etc and no change w/o buyer’s permission (2/3rd)
    4. Escrow account- 70% funds locked in to prevent diversion
    5. Penalty for delays

    So far so good but what this act doesn’t do is that it does not impose time limits for clearances, no single window clearance. It would only result in more babugiri, more corruption and ultimately project cost will increase.

    Root of the problem is over-regulation. Although land and real estate are bought and sold all the time, India doesn’t have a functioning market for land and real estate. The high prices in real estate are a reflection of an artificial scarcity caused by over-regulation, as well as bad regulations, by multiple agencies. The builder-babu-politician nexus is a corollary of this distorted environment.

    Another issue is that it’s a concurrent list subject and many states which already have their acts will drag their feet.

    5. Nepal PM’s special mission to China and signing of Transit agreement

    That Nepal-India ties are going through a very difficult phase after the promulgation of constitution and Madheshi blockade (which Nepal termed as blockade by India) is no secret. Anti-India sentiments have reached feverish pitch in Nepal <Nepali nationalism is built on Anti-Indianism>.

    To put the relations on an even keel Nepal PM visited India ahead of China but significant differences remain, especially on the question of Madhesi rights in Nepal and was reflected in the inability of the two sides to issue a joint statement at the end of Oli’s visit last month.

    Now Nepal has signed following deals with China

    1. landmark transit agreement that will allow Nepal to use Chinese ports to import goods from third countries
    2. assist Nepal in the exploration of hydrocarbon resources and expand the use of solar energy
    3. agreements on building of multiple train routes connecting Nepal with China’s key production centres is also in the pipeline (not signed yet)

    Should India be worried?

    • India would not worry good neighborly relations b/w Nepal and China. After all, even India is courting Chinese investments. But if it impinge on our security interests India will be worried.#
    • As far as trade and transit is concerned, 98 per cent of Nepal’s third country trade goes through India and to the port of Kolkata,
    • India at present has two rail lines under construction and three more are being planned to increase Nepal’s trade ties.
    • India agreed on giving dedicated access to Nepal to the port of Vizag.

    Delhi’s problem then is less about coping with China’s grand strategy (one belt one roda, ending India’s influence in south Asia) than overcoming the entrenched distrust of India in Kathmandu and bringing greater purpose to economic engagement with Nepal.

    6. Update on Adahar bill discussed in last round up

    Let me summarise him for those of you who don’t like his ranting

    1. Not a money bill– to arbitrarily declare something a money bill is to subvert the spirit of the Constitution. This bill will set a horrendous precedent for ways of bypassing the Rajya Sabha. The solution to legislative logjam cannot be subversion of the representative scheme bequeathed to us.
    2. On privacy- The national security exceptions in the bill are too broad. It negates all protections the bill seemingly provides
    3. Even if you want to keep national security exception, this can not be left entirely to the bureaucracy and executive when they themselves will not be under any system of accountability
    4. Aadhaar will give the ability to link different databases biometrically. To protect privacy, each such database will need additional locks. Linking databases should need consent from multiple key-holders subject to legislative oversight and judicial redress. It would require overarching privacy legislation.

  • Collections on Schemes & programs of Government of India

    We are consolidating all the factiods, opportunities, criticisms and updates on the schemes by government of India in the last year or so under this collection –

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/collection/government-schemes-programs/

    If there is any scheme which has bugged your mind or you would want us to take first, go ahead and put in your comments.

  • What are your personal recommendations for IAS Prelims? Books and hacks

    Hello,

    A good while ago, we had released a set of standard text books which every aspirant checks through once he starts preparing for IAS prelims. The original list is this –
    https://www.civilsdaily.com/recommended-books-for-ias-prelims-2016/

    BUT, over time students tend to explore books and notes on their own or via some references and this becomes a great hack for newbies to consolidate their preparation. We invite each and every user of Civilsdaily to profile their most recommended reading material/ books for us.

    Keep it simple and crisp. Just talk about 3 things –
    1. Book name & subject
    2. Pros (mention your hacks and how it is a refreshing read from the others)
    3. Cons (difficulty level, things which it misses out on etc etc.)

    Why this exercise is important?

    If you know about the Tamil Nadu state books which are considered a boon for history @Pre & Mains, it was discovered by one such student and then promoted to all!

    So open up and be generous 🙂

  • Know Your Services | The Indian Forest Service

    • IFoS is one of the three All India Services
    • It was created in 1966 under the All India Services Act 1951
    • Previously, the Imperial Forestry Service existed during the British Raj from 1865 to 1935

    Exam pattern:

    #1. Prelims It is the same as that of Civil services Preliminary Examination (same exam, held simultaneously).

    #2. Mains
    The written examination consists of the following papers:

    • Paper 1- General English- 300 Marks
    • Paper 2- General Knowledge- 300 Marks
    • Papers III, IV, V and VI- Any two subjects to be selected from the list of the optional subjects. Each subject will have two papers- 200 marks for each paper.

    #3. Personality Test of candidates who qualify from Mains will be conducted by the UPSC. Maximum Marks- 300.

    List of optional subjects:
    (i) Agriculture
    (ii.) Agricultural Engineering
    (iii) Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
    (iv) Botany
    (v) Chemistry
    (vi) Chemical Engineering
    (vii) Civil Engineering
    (viii) Forestry
    (ix) Geology
    (x) Mathematics
    (xi) Mechanical Engineering
    (xii) Physics
    (xiii) Statistics
    (xiv) Zoology

    The following combination of subjects are not allowed:
    (a) Agriculture and Agricultural Engineering
    (b) Agriculture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
    (c) Agriculture and ·Forestry
    (d) Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
    (e) Mathematics and Statistics
    (f) Of the Engineering subjects viz. Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering- not more than one

    Eligibility– The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the following subjects:

    Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics and Zoology, Agriculture, Forestry, Agriculture Engineering, Engineering.

    Mandate:

    The implementation of the National Forest Policy which aims to ensure environmental stability and maintenance of ecological balance which are vital for sustenance of all life forms, human, animal and plant.

    IFoS officers while in field postings in respective state cadres work for conservation, protection and development of forests and wildlife along with an aim to enhance livelihood opportunities of forest dependent communities of rural and tribal areas.

    Cadre:

    Their services are placed under various State cadres and joint cadres, even though they have the mandate to serve both under the State and Central Governments.

    Career opportunities:

    • An IFS officer is largely independent of district administration and exercises administrative, judicial and financial powers in their own domain.
    • All top positions in state forest department are held by IFS officers. Positions like Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Conservator of Forests (CF) and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) etc. are some examples.
    • The highest ranking IFoS official in each state is the Head of Forest Forces (HoFF), a cabinet selection post equal in rank to the Chief Secretary for IAS or State Police Chief for the IPS.
    • They are also eligible for State and Central deputations as their counterpart IAS and IPS officers
    • Deputation of IFS officers to the Central Government includes appointments in Central Ministries at the position of Deputy Secretary, Director, Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary etc.; appointments in various Public Sector Units, Institutes and Academies at the position of Chief Vigilance Officers (CVO), Managing Directors, Inspector General, Director General etc.
    • Deputation of IFS officers is also permissible to foreign governments, United Nations bodies, international organisations, NGOs, voluntary organisations apart from private sector as per the Indian Forest Service (Cadre) Rules, 1966.
    • Ministry of Environment and Forests (India), under the Government of India, is the cadre controlling authority of Indian Forest Service.

    Deputations:

    Let’s see how they are deputed technically…

    As per Rule 6 of the Indian Forest Service (Cadre) Rules, 1966 deputation of IFS officers broadly falls into two categories: Central Deputation & State Deputation

    #1. Central Deputation
    For Central Deputation, there are two schemes devised for the purpose of regulating appointments in Government of India and organisations under its control:

    Central Staffing Scheme
    Non-Central Staffing Scheme

    • There are two Central Staffing Schemes, one each controlled by Ministry of Environment and Forests (India) (MoEF) and Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and they are respectively called as CSS of MoEF and CSS of DoPT.
    • Manning the pre-identified professional positions in the Ministry, its regional offices, subordinate offices, organisations under its control (located elsewhere in the country) and in other Ministries/Departments, exclusively by IFS, CSS of MoEF scheme has been formulated.
    • The posts included under it are Director General of Forests, Additional Director General of Forests, Inspector General of Forests and Deputy Inspector General of Forests in Ministry of Environment and Forests, Associate Professors and Lecturers in IGNFA, Director of Forest Survey of India, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Project Tiger, Project Elephant, National Zoological Park, Forest Education and Deputy Directors/Conservators in Regional offices of the Ministry.
    • Similar to the CSS of the MoEF, for manning pre-identified positions of Under Secretary (US), Deputy Secretary (DS), Director, Joint Secretary to Government of India (JS), Additional Secretary (AS), Special Secretary (SS) and equivalent levels in the Government of India and its organizations, DoPT have formulated a staffing Scheme. A total of 38 Civil Services including the three All India Services under this scheme.
    • Similar to the CSS, there are two Non-CSS under the Government of India one each controlled by the MoEF and DoPT.
    •  All posts to be filled up by IFS officers in the autonomous bodies under the control of the Ministry viz ICFRE, Dehradun; Wild Life Institute of India, Dehradun and Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal; Wild-Life Crime Control Bureau, Central Pollution Control Board, Central Zoo Authority etc. are called as non-CSS posts.
    •  Isolated posts under various Departments and Ministries in Government of India and the posts of Commissions, Autonomous Bodies, Authorities, Trusts, Boards, Societies, etc. constitute non-CSS of DoPT.viz IAS, IPS, IFS are participants under this Scheme

    It was on deputation at AIIMS as deputy secretary and Chief Vigilance Officer that Sanjiv Chaturvedi, an IFoS officer exposed corruption and was later awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award (Asia’s nobel) for emergent leadership

    #2. State Deputation:
    An IFoS officer may also be deputed for service under a company, association, corporation which is wholly or substantially owned or controlled by a State Government, a Municipal Corporation or Local Body. Appointment is done by the State Government.

    #3. Deputation under International Organisations
    An IFoS officer may also be deputed for service under international organisation by Central Government in consultation with State Government.

    Training & Recruitment:

    • Training at the Academy extends over a period of 2 years. Comprehensive exposure to all the subjects that are directly or indirectly related to forestry are provided.
    • The course is designed to be covered in phases:
      1. Foundation Course
      2. Professional Phase I
      3. Professional Phase II
      4. Convocation Phase
    • Officers of the IFoS have to initially attend the common foundation course at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussorie.
    • On completion of this, they are trained at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy at Dehradun, with training on forest and wildlife management, soil conservation, surveying, Scheduled Tribes and handling weapons.
    • After completion of their training the officers are awarded a master’s degree in Science (Forestry) of Forest Research Institute. The officers are taught more than 56 subjects of life sciences in these two years.
    • After completing training at the academy, candidates go through a year of on-the-job field training in the state to which he or she is assigned, during which they are posted as Assistant Conservators of Forests or Deputy Conservator of Forests.
    • After four years of service in the junior scale, which includes a professional training phase and foundation course, officers are appointed to the Senior Time Scale and are entitled to be posted as Deputy Conservators of Forests or Divisional Forest Officers (DFO) in charge of districts/forest divisions.

    The life in IFoS:

     

    Let’s know about life in IFoS from an IFoS himself…
    Jayanti Prasad Sharma, an IFoS officer (retd.) served for 35 years from 1963 to 1998. Sharma retired as Chief Conservator of Forests after serving in different districts and commissionerates of Uttar Pradesh. In his long career span he gathered precious insight into the world of animals and nature that most modern youngsters can only imagine.

    #1. Wildlife encounter:
    As a young officer Sharma’s first posting was in Gorakhpur in 1965 and within days, he had his first brush with the most feared of all.

    He encountered a Tiger merely 20-30 yards and was chased by him. He was literally frozen. But somehow he managed to hide himself and use all theory learnt during training into practice.

    #2. Human encounter:
    The problems and challenges faced are not from the wildlife itself, but most often from humans. Apart from the known illegal activities of poaching and felling of protected trees which the officers had to constantly check on, one of the biggest everyday challenge is to prevent encroachment of the forest land.

    On the other hand, as chief protectors of the forest and its inhabitants, forest officers are also the chief negotiators who resolve conflict when a wild animal enters human settlements. Sharma says, it was a part of his day-to-day job to ensure that peace was maintained when such conflicts arose.

    #3. Disappearing forests:
    He says during the sixties when he joined the service there was lot of love and respect in the eyes of public for forest as well as foresters. There was in general, respect for forest law. Things have changed now. There is lots of political interference. In the name of development the pressure on land has increased and it has becomes the easiest prey, he adds.

    Due to such policies to please the interests of few, the forest land has diminished a lot and is fast diminishing from what we inherited.
    When he was in service, Sharma recalls there were no roads. They were trained to travel on foot on hills.

    #4. Choosing to serve forests:
    Sharma hopes more youngsters choose IFS. He advises them to join this service with a determination and zeal of serving the country and the environment. He also importantly asks the next generation to not stoop down to political pressures.

    They must make an effort to change the mindset of people and politicians who have become anti forests, who value monetary gains over our mother nature. For them forests and forest departments are obstructions in their plans of grabbing forests land. They have to take up the task of making world aware of the natural wealth we have inherited and teach them to pass it on to our next generation. It should be taken up as our moral responsibility.

    #5. Some vital career lessons:

    As you have decided to join IFS, so now it is forests where you belong. Along with office work, field inspections are very important. Make it a habit to visit the fields and do lots of site inspections. Try not to be an arm chair officer but a one who is a field officer.

    We have inherited a chain of rest houses in dense and remote places built by Britishers. Always stay few nights every month in them. It helps connecting with the locals in much better way and gives a great command over the area of one’s jurisdiction.

    #6. Some other view:

    Let’s see what a guy has to say about his father being in IFS…

    Life’s been pretty much an adventure. His cadre is WB, sometimes it has been dangerous living around there – Bodo, Naxalite and Gorkhaland uprisings. Perks and power are the same as an IAS officer in such areas coz of extensive forest lands. Plenty of beautifully constructed colonial/modern times forest rest houses, postings in National Parks and Sanctuaries etc, discounted timber rates. Got to live in one of the nicest bungalows with fancy gardens.

    On the less brighter side, the CM can bust you for anything from minimal tree-felling to an animal getting slaughtered on a railroad. More so in states with more rural populations and tribal areas. Especially now when everybody is waking up to the environment more consciously. I would’ve liked sitting for the exam myself if people from a non-science background were eligible.

    Published with inputs from Swapnil