Author: CD Staff

Key Takeaways:

1. Civilsdaily Monthly Magazine (Latest Two Months)
2. Mentorship Call for Personlised Daily Timetable
3. Beginners Guide / All Important sample Videos and Notes
4. PDFs of Important Go-To Subjects to Begin with.

UPSC Civil Services Exam for the recruitment of IAS, IFS, IRS and 21 other services is one of the most difficult exams in India. More than 10 Lakh aspirants give the UPSC exam every year making the exam competitive. But that does not mean YOU cannot crack it!

Here’s what you need to know before you start preparing for UPSC Exam.

FACT: UPSC Civil Service exam requires Hard Work + Strategy + Guidance This is the Holy Trinity that will help you become an IAS officer. 

So, how do you start?

1) The UPSC Exam Schedule: 

UPSC exam is held in 3 stages – Prelims, Mains, And Interview. Prelims are based on objective questions, Mains is subjective, and Interview is a personality test. Fortunately, you can prepare for these stages together and online!

2) Understanding the syllabus: 

UPSC exam has a vast syllabus. It is important to know the scope of preparation before you start preparing for the exam. Here are some of the questions you need to ask yourself:

a) What are the scope and the nature of the syllabus?

b) What to study and what not to study?

c) What is the question pattern?

d) What are your weak areas and what are your strengths?

e) What kind of guidance will you need? Etc.

Our guidance program, for example, helps students understand the syllabus and develop a  strategy around it. The mentors at Civils Daily handhold the candidates and guide them at each step. They explain to the students about the Dos and Don’ts of the exam and train them how to develop a good study pattern.

3) Developing a Smart Strategy: 

Developing a strategy that delivers results is very important for this exam. We believe that every student learns at their own pace and each student should have a personal study plan that suits their learning curve.

This is why our mentors do the following:

a) They assess the students and understand their requirements.

b) They develop a study plan for the students that match their learning abilities.

c) They provide the important study material so that the student doesn’t feel lost. 

d) They provide regular feedback to students to help them remain focused.

We believe that students should have strong strategies that are tried and tested, and our experienced mentors customise these strategies for each student.

4) Managing Current Affairs: 

Current Affairs is the heart and soul of UPSC preparation. But there is so much news every day that it becomes difficult for the student to cope. That is why we tie Current Affairs with static knowledge and share it with students. This makes it easy for students to remember important details and score more in the exam.

You can also practice reading newspapers daily and making notes. This will keep you updated. And you can always receive the Current Affairs study material from us in consolidated form for quick revision.

5) Choosing Optionals:

This is what topper do when choosing optional:

a) They narrow down the subjects to 3-4 options based on their background.

b) They go through the syllabus thoroughly before making a decision.

c) They also analyse the previous years’ question papers to understand the pattern.

d) They consult with their mentors to develop a study plan that could work.

Speaking with a mentor is highly helpful in making this decision because they keep analysing the exam pattern. The mentors know what kind of questions may come and how to study for them. Having an experienced guiding hand for optionals can take your preparation to the next level.

6) Writing Practice 

Answer-writing practice and essay writing practice is a must for any candidate. But the most important thing is getting feedback and evaluation.

a) Getting feedback from the beginning will help you practice the best way of writing answers.

b) Getting your essays evaluated will help you avoid making mistakes.

c) Getting the right guidance can save you a lot of effort.

Starting with the right guidance can help you avoid mistakes and save you a lot of time.  Why waste time doing things that don’t work and why not start with the right guidance itself? 

7) Getting The Right Guidance 

Do not waste your time and energy in reinventing the wheel! 

It is important to engage with someone who understands your needs. Experienced mentors know the common mistakes that students make, they understand how overwhelming this experience can be. The mentors know how much time and effort goes into the right preparation. And they know how to help students in all these situations.

The best thing to do is to get in touch with a mentor who can help you avoid making mistakes and guide you to the right preparation techniques.

This is why our programs are designed to help students at each stage of their preparation.  Any problem you face, you can speak with us and we will find a solution for you. We believe in working with our students and providing the guidance that can make your dream come true!

Context

• The notion of correlation between various countries characterized by interconnectedness played an important role in the proliferation of the COVID.
• India’s vaccine diplomacy provides the scope to reflect its cultural values imbued with democratic ethos, cooperation, humanity, development and compassion.
• It is coupled with the vision of India as a responsible global player deserving the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) permanent membership.
• India assumes a significant position in the global supply chain of the vaccine due to its time-tested production capabilities and being the world’s largest producer of vaccines.

Vaccines and India

• India’s Covid-19 vaccines are the cheapest in the world with two frontrunners; “Covishield” developed by the Serum Institute of India and the “Covaxin” developed by the collaboration of ICMR and NIV with Bharat Biotech (Mondal, 2021).
• A third vaccine, Russia’s Sputnik V has been approved for emergency use in India by Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI).
• The local production of Sputnik V will begin in July 2021 and Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s Laboratories will manufacture the vaccine in India.

India’s vaccine diplomacy

• India has supplied vaccines to nations including Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Brazil, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Algeria, Kuwait, and South Africa.
• Supplies made under grant amount to 56 lakh doses and commercial supplies amounting to over 100 lakh doses.
• Indian vaccines have reached Afghanistan and also it is reaching the shores of CARICOM countries in the Caribbean, Pacific Island States, Nicaragua etc.
• India’s ubiquitous vaccine delivery programme to the rest of the world is situated within the framework of Vaccine Maitri which is quite synonymous with the SAGAR doctrine of India.
• This gives legitimacy to India’s vaccine efforts further.

Why need vaccine diplomacy?

• The aspect of health is central to welfare.
• Such centrality when disrupted or threatened creates a humongous clamor for instant relief; in this case such action was observed in the pursuit for a vaccine to end this interlude.
• The field of vaccine development cuts across the national boundaries.
• This was witnessed in the various collaborative international efforts between various manufacturing companies and laboratories engaged in research.

India’s efforts

• The launch of India’s vaccine outreach initiative known as “Vaccine Maitri” demonstrates India’s concern to bring down the curve of the pandemic as a powerful booster to economic recovery prospect.
• In this context, the recognition is earned as Indian vaccines reflected her pool of scientific skill and professionalism.
• Besides, India assumes a significant position in the global supply chain of the vaccine due to its time-tested production capabilities and being the world’s largest producer of vaccines.

Significance of India’s vaccine diplomacy

• This can be understood if we take into account the nature of action of the developed countries which shows their propensity to reserve doses much beyond the need of their population.
• The situation of the developing countries, on the contrary, is messy because majority of people in the developing and poor countries could remain unprotected if they cannot afford to pay for the vaccine.
• Put in this perspective, the nobility of India’s moves stands upon her commitment to share her mastery.
• India has shared its vaccines with all fellow countries not only those situated in South Asia but also to different countries of the Middle East to Africa and beyond.

It is undoubtedly a great achievement so far as the domain of our foreign policy and soft power are concerned.

Utility of vaccine diplomacy

• Sometimes we can get the outcomes we want without tangible threats or payoffs. This is what is called “second face of power”.
• A country may obtain the outcomes it wants in world politics because other countries—admiring its values, emulating its example, aspiring to its level of prosperity and openness— want to follow it.
• Vaccine diplomacy as the nomenclature to define this phenomenon, bends towards the soft power perspective.
• Soft power rests on the ability to shape the preferences of others.

Reflecting India’s wisdom

• Vaccine diplomacy provides India with the scope to reflect its cultural values imbued with democratic ethos, cooperation, humanity, development and compassion.
• The idea of compassion and generosity are a distinct hallmark of Indian wisdom which is engraved both within the domestic public space as well as its institutions.

Benefits reaped

• In today’s world heavily loaded by hard power there is no gainsaying the fact that our dependence on soft power potentialities cannot be absolute.
• Nevertheless, to succeed in world politics; the path that India adopts with regard to her vaccine diplomacy provides her with unique advantage.
• For instance, India’s well-positioned stature in terms of vaccine manufacturing has been recognised by Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau.

Way forward

• Diplomacy is all about the conduct of international relations with other countries based on certain parameters of connectedness and cooperation.
• It is worth noting that India’s first supply of vaccine dosage went to Bhutan and Maldives, these two countries being India’s closest ally in the South Asian region.
• India should follow a preferential and prudential line of judgement when it comes to vaccine distribution.
• Being generous is a great virtue but generosity should be backed by judicious calculation.

Key Takeaways:

1. Civilsdaily Monthly Magazine (Latest Two Months)
2. Mentorship Call for Personlised Daily Timetable
3. Beginners Guide / All Important sample Videos and Notes
4. PDFs of Important Go-To Subjects to Begin with.

UPSC Civil Services Exam for the recruitment of IAS, IFS, IRS and 21 other services is one of the most difficult exams in India. More than 10 Lakh aspirants give the UPSC exam every year making the exam competitive. But that does not mean YOU cannot crack it!

Here’s what you need to know before you start preparing for UPSC Exam.

FACT: UPSC Civil Service exam requires Hard Work + Strategy + Guidance This is the Holy Trinity that will help you become an IAS officer. 

So, how do you start?

1) The UPSC Exam Schedule: 

UPSC exam is held in 3 stages – Prelims, Mains, And Interview. Prelims are based on objective questions, Mains is subjective, and Interview is a personality test. Fortunately, you can prepare for these stages together and online!

2) Understanding the syllabus: 

UPSC exam has a vast syllabus. It is important to know the scope of preparation before you start preparing for the exam. Here are some of the questions you need to ask yourself:

a) What are the scope and the nature of the syllabus?

b) What to study and what not to study?

c) What is the question pattern?

d) What are your weak areas and what are your strengths?

e) What kind of guidance will you need? Etc.

Our guidance program, for example, helps students understand the syllabus and develop a  strategy around it. The mentors at Civils Daily handhold the candidates and guide them at each step. They explain to the students about the Dos and Don’ts of the exam and train them how to develop a good study pattern.

3) Developing a Smart Strategy: 

Developing a strategy that delivers results is very important for this exam. We believe that every student learns at their own pace and each student should have a personal study plan that suits their learning curve.

This is why our mentors do the following:

a) They assess the students and understand their requirements.

b) They develop a study plan for the students that match their learning abilities.

c) They provide the important study material so that the student doesn’t feel lost. 

d) They provide regular feedback to students to help them remain focused.

We believe that students should have strong strategies that are tried and tested, and our experienced mentors customise these strategies for each student.

4) Managing Current Affairs: 

Current Affairs is the heart and soul of UPSC preparation. But there is so much news every day that it becomes difficult for the student to cope. That is why we tie Current Affairs with static knowledge and share it with students. This makes it easy for students to remember important details and score more in the exam.

You can also practice reading newspapers daily and making notes. This will keep you updated. And you can always receive the Current Affairs study material from us in consolidated form for quick revision.

5) Choosing Optionals:

This is what topper do when choosing optional:

a) They narrow down the subjects to 3-4 options based on their background.

b) They go through the syllabus thoroughly before making a decision.

c) They also analyse the previous years’ question papers to understand the pattern.

d) They consult with their mentors to develop a study plan that could work.

Speaking with a mentor is highly helpful in making this decision because they keep analysing the exam pattern. The mentors know what kind of questions may come and how to study for them. Having an experienced guiding hand for optionals can take your preparation to the next level.

6) Writing Practice 

Answer-writing practice and essay writing practice is a must for any candidate. But the most important thing is getting feedback and evaluation.

a) Getting feedback from the beginning will help you practice the best way of writing answers.

b) Getting your essays evaluated will help you avoid making mistakes.

c) Getting the right guidance can save you a lot of effort.

Starting with the right guidance can help you avoid mistakes and save you a lot of time.  Why waste time doing things that don’t work and why not start with the right guidance itself? 

7) Getting The Right Guidance 

Do not waste your time and energy in reinventing the wheel! 

It is important to engage with someone who understands your needs. Experienced mentors know the common mistakes that students make, they understand how overwhelming this experience can be. The mentors know how much time and effort goes into the right preparation. And they know how to help students in all these situations.

The best thing to do is to get in touch with a mentor who can help you avoid making mistakes and guide you to the right preparation techniques.

This is why our programs are designed to help students at each stage of their preparation.  Any problem you face, you can speak with us and we will find a solution for you. We believe in working with our students and providing the guidance that can make your dream come true!

Key Takeaways:

1. Civilsdaily Monthly Magazine (Latest Two Months)
2. Mentorship Call for Personlised Daily Timetable
3. Beginners Guide / All Important sample Videos and Notes
4. PDFs of Important Go-To Subjects to Begin with.

UPSC Civil Services Exam for the recruitment of IAS, IFS, IRS and 21 other services is one of the most difficult exams in India. More than 10 Lakh aspirants give the UPSC exam every year making the exam competitive. But that does not mean YOU cannot crack it!

Here’s what you need to know before you start preparing for UPSC Exam.

FACT: UPSC Civil Service exam requires Hard Work + Strategy + Guidance This is the Holy Trinity that will help you become an IAS officer. 

So, how do you start?

1) The UPSC Exam Schedule: 

UPSC exam is held in 3 stages – Prelims, Mains, And Interview. Prelims are based on objective questions, Mains is subjective, and Interview is a personality test. Fortunately, you can prepare for these stages together and online!

2) Understanding the syllabus: 

UPSC exam has a vast syllabus. It is important to know the scope of preparation before you start preparing for the exam. Here are some of the questions you need to ask yourself:

a) What are the scope and the nature of the syllabus?

b) What to study and what not to study?

c) What is the question pattern?

d) What are your weak areas and what are your strengths?

e) What kind of guidance will you need? Etc.

Our guidance program, for example, helps students understand the syllabus and develop a  strategy around it. The mentors at Civils Daily handhold the candidates and guide them at each step. They explain to the students about the Dos and Don’ts of the exam and train them how to develop a good study pattern.

3) Developing a Smart Strategy: 

Developing a strategy that delivers results is very important for this exam. We believe that every student learns at their own pace and each student should have a personal study plan that suits their learning curve.

This is why our mentors do the following:

a) They assess the students and understand their requirements.

b) They develop a study plan for the students that match their learning abilities.

c) They provide the important study material so that the student doesn’t feel lost. 

d) They provide regular feedback to students to help them remain focused.

We believe that students should have strong strategies that are tried and tested, and our experienced mentors customise these strategies for each student.

4) Managing Current Affairs: 

Current Affairs is the heart and soul of UPSC preparation. But there is so much news every day that it becomes difficult for the student to cope. That is why we tie Current Affairs with static knowledge and share it with students. This makes it easy for students to remember important details and score more in the exam.

You can also practice reading newspapers daily and making notes. This will keep you updated. And you can always receive the Current Affairs study material from us in consolidated form for quick revision.

5) Choosing Optionals:

This is what topper do when choosing optional:

a) They narrow down the subjects to 3-4 options based on their background.

b) They go through the syllabus thoroughly before making a decision.

c) They also analyse the previous years’ question papers to understand the pattern.

d) They consult with their mentors to develop a study plan that could work.

Speaking with a mentor is highly helpful in making this decision because they keep analysing the exam pattern. The mentors know what kind of questions may come and how to study for them. Having an experienced guiding hand for optionals can take your preparation to the next level.

6) Writing Practice 

Answer-writing practice and essay writing practice is a must for any candidate. But the most important thing is getting feedback and evaluation.

a) Getting feedback from the beginning will help you practice the best way of writing answers.

b) Getting your essays evaluated will help you avoid making mistakes.

c) Getting the right guidance can save you a lot of effort.

Starting with the right guidance can help you avoid mistakes and save you a lot of time.  Why waste time doing things that don’t work and why not start with the right guidance itself? 

7) Getting The Right Guidance 

Do not waste your time and energy in reinventing the wheel! 

It is important to engage with someone who understands your needs. Experienced mentors know the common mistakes that students make, they understand how overwhelming this experience can be. The mentors know how much time and effort goes into the right preparation. And they know how to help students in all these situations.

The best thing to do is to get in touch with a mentor who can help you avoid making mistakes and guide you to the right preparation techniques.

This is why our programs are designed to help students at each stage of their preparation.  Any problem you face, you can speak with us and we will find a solution for you. We believe in working with our students and providing the guidance that can make your dream come true!

The Union Civil Aviation ministry has released the draft of the national drone policy, making it significantly easier for people and companies to own and operate drones, while also streamlining the certification process for manufacturers, importers and users.

Drones have been in the spotlight since such a device was used to target an Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Jammu with explosives last month.

In this article we will discuss and analyse all aspects of this issue.

Why such urgent promulgation?

• Drones now form a significant new consumer tech category, particularly among hobbyists and visual artists.
• They are being tested for a range of practical as well as industrial uses such as automated package deliveries by e-commerce companies.
• They have wide range of applications such as in disaster management, delivery systems.
• The new draft rules provide a positive move. They present a lot of clarity in the usage of drones.

Draft Drone Rules 2021

The objective of the policy is to enable more types of unmanned aircraft operational scenarios, increase the ease of compliance for the unmanned aviation industry, and ensure safety and security.

Some of the key features are as under:

Number of forms: The rules propose to reduce the number of forms required for manufacturing, importing, testing, certifying and operating drones in India from 25 to six.

Abolishing authorization number: The draft seeks to abolish the unique authorisation number, unique prototype identification number, and certificate of conformance that were previously required for approval of drone flights.

Digital Sky Platform: Digital Sky, a platform launched by the government in December 2018, will become a single-window system for all approvals under the newly proposed rules.

Airspace map: An airspace map segregating the entire landmass of India into Green, Yellow and Red zones will be published on the platform within 30 days of notification of the new rules, the government said. The map will also be machine-readable through an Application Programming Interface (API) for easier plotting of drone flight paths.

Airport Perimeter: The draft rules reduced the airport perimeter from 45 km to 12 km. The rules state that no flight permissions would be required to fly up to 400 feet in green zones and up to 200 feet in the area between 8 and 12 km from the airport perimeter.

Drone corridors: The government will also publish a policy framework for Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) within 60 days of notifying the rules. This will also include frameworks for developing “drone corridors” for the safe transfer of goods by drones.

Drone Promotion Council: The Rules also propose the setting up of a Drone Promotion Council, with the aim of facilitating a business-friendly regulatory regime for drones in India, the establishment of incubators for developing drone technologies and organizing competitive events to showcase drones and counter-drone solutions.

Others: To implement safety features such as “no permission, no take-off”, real-time tracking and geofencing, drone manufacturers, importers and operators will get six months’ time to comply from the date of notification of the rules.

Security imperative and Drones

• The integration of unmanned aircraft systems into national air-force is critical and challenging both.
• We have incidences were arms, narcotic drugs have been dropped by drones. So, security challenges are increasing.
• DRDO has come up with an Anti-drone system. This makes India capable of where drones can be jammed.
• Other is one can shoot the drone through lasers. But this has potential threats to humans.
• Drones are called eyes in the sky as they are used by law enforcement agencies, fire emergency services, health care facilities.

Digital Sky Platform: Key to Success

• The success of these initiatives will depend in large part on the ‘Digital Sky’ platform — a single-window online system where most permissions to own and operate drones will be self-generated.
• Bureaucratic red tape and ‘rubber stamp culture’ has been the bane of Indian aviation for decades.
• Paper trails with needless human intervention lend themselves to ‘discretionary powers’ and opens doors for corruption.
• It is encouraging to see the shift to paperless approval.

Conclusion

• The drone industry (manufacturing and operation) is still grappling with evolutionary challenges in India.
• The ministry of civil aviation’s decision to liberalize the drone policy even after the recent drone incidents in Jammu showcases the government’s bold approach.
• They are necessary to promote the use of the drone and the government must focus on the development of counter-drone technology to address the threat posed by rogue drones.

We have spent over 6,500 hours last year discussing the preparation strategies of over 9,000 students individually and we found that there are 2 kinds of aspirants.

1. Those who received good guidance and planned their study to score more. And
2. Those aspirants who were misguided by others and got overwhelmed by the syllabus.

And if you feel that you need some experienced guidance, then you have come to the right place!

We will tell you how we guide our students and you can decide if it suits you:

1. Personalized Study Plans – Every student learns at a different pace. One study plan does not suit everyone. That is why when students get in touch with us, we prepare individual study plans for each student that helps them learn at their own pace.
2. Identifying Mistakes – Our experienced mentors have worked with thousands of students and they know the most common mistakes the students make. When we teach our students, we guide them away from these mistakes so they can improve their performance quickly and score more.

3. We Don’t Experiment With Your Career – Our success depends on the success of our students. That is why we only use Tried and Tested Methods of studying that has proven extremely successful in the past. We adapt to the changes and not experiment with your careers.

4. We Present What UPSC Expects – We understand what the UPSC expects when it comes to answer-writing, essays, and other preparations. We work hard to decode UPSC patterns so that our students don’t have to. That is why we provide only the most relevant material to the students so they can study without feeling lost.

5. One-Stop For All Your Needs – Our students do not get overwhelmed while studying because we provide them with everything they need! All the relevant study material, tests, discussions, and coaching in one place. This helps our students remain focused and concentrated.

And more…

We work with our students for their success. 

And if you feel like talking to us just get in touch. We would love to know how we can help you succeed!

We have spent over 6,500 hours last year discussing the preparation strategies of over 9,000 students individually and we found that there are 2 kinds of aspirants.

1. Those who received good guidance and planned their study to score more. And
2. Those aspirants who were misguided by others and got overwhelmed by the syllabus.

And if you feel that you need some experienced guidance, then you have come to the right place!

We will tell you how we guide our students and you can decide if it suits you:

1. Personalized Study Plans – Every student learns at a different pace. One study plan does not suit everyone. That is why when students get in touch with us, we prepare individual study plans for each student that helps them learn at their own pace.
2. Identifying Mistakes – Our experienced mentors have worked with thousands of students and they know the most common mistakes the students make. When we teach our students, we guide them away from these mistakes so they can improve their performance quickly and score more.

3. We Don’t Experiment With Your Career – Our success depends on the success of our students. That is why we only use Tried and Tested Methods of studying that has proven extremely successful in the past. We adapt to the changes and not experiment with your careers.

4. We Present What UPSC Expects – We understand what the UPSC expects when it comes to answer-writing, essays, and other preparations. We work hard to decode UPSC patterns so that our students don’t have to. That is why we provide only the most relevant material to the students so they can study without feeling lost.

5. One-Stop For All Your Needs – Our students do not get overwhelmed while studying because we provide them with everything they need! All the relevant study material, tests, discussions, and coaching in one place. This helps our students remain focused and concentrated.

And more…

We work with our students for their success. 

And if you feel like talking to us just get in touch. We would love to know how we can help you succeed!

Finance Secretary has recently underlined the need for improving the fiscal position of the government through reforms in farm, food and fertilizer subsidies so that additional funds can be generated for the development of infrastructure and education systems.

In this article we will discuss and analyse all aspects of this issue.

Financial crunch of India

• India’s fiscal deficit at 9.3% of GDP for FY21, down from a revised estimate of 9.5%.
• This is expected to rise due to covid induced welfare schemes announced recently.

Role of Subsidies

• In India, food and fertilizer subsidies formed a major chunk of the overall subsidy followed by education, health, corporate concession, etc.
• Farm, food and fertilizer reforms are administratively easy but politically difficult in view of the ramifications.

At the present juncture we have two main kinds of buckets of reform-

1. We have to set our fiscal house in order and also provide for the many things that governments legitimately should provide.
2. We will need to reform some of our subsidies — farm subsidies, food subsidies, fertilizer subsidies. Some of them are intertwined with each other.

Burden of Subsidies in India

(1) Farm Subsidies

• The continued trust in Centre is established with the ever-increasing support to farmers.
• Various farm subsidies from the govt include fertilizers, farm credit, crop insurance and MSP etc.
• A similar support from State Governments towards electricity power subsidies, irrigation subsidies crop insurance subsidies.
• Public investment in agriculture through major irrigation projects by States, is almost equal to the annual farm subsidies of the Government of India.
• In addition, 50% of the food subsidies are granted to farmers under National Food Security Mission, as 75% of rural population covered.
• State Governments also waived farm loans of Rs. 1,22,000 crores.

Thus, farm subsidies form about two percent of India’s GDP.

(2) Fertilizer Subsidies

• The government’s role in shaping the fertilizer landscape goes back to 1957 when it introduced the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO) to regulate the sale, price, and quality of fertilizers in the market.
• This has not only contributed to the start of a green revolution but also increased the use of fertilizer by farmers and resulted in higher yields.
• India is currently the second-largest consumer of fertilizer globally after China.

Over the years, the distribution of fertilizer in India became prone to leakages. This is due to:

1. Lack of a dedicated fertilizer beneficiary database
2. Absence of a cap on fertilizer entitlements (Presently farmers can buy any amount, irrespective of need)
3. Different levels of subsidy provided to the manufacturing plants based on their cost of production
4. Disproportionate use of urea as opposed to other types of fertilizer, such as fertilizers containing phosphorous (P) or Potassium (K) nutrients, or both.

(3) Food Subsidies

India has one of the largest food subsidy programmes in the world that has created a relatively effective social safety net.

• Food subsidies are under increasing criticism because of its large contributions to government budget deficits, economic inefficiency and poor targeting.
• The food subsidy bill is becoming unmanageably large.
• For the 2021/22 fiscal year, India’s total outlay toward the food subsidy is expected to cross Rs 2.1 lakh crore.
• The Economic Survey 2020-21 released on Friday recommended an increase in the issue price at which poor households receive food grains.
• Central issue price (CIP) is the amount priority households pay, ₹2 per kg of wheat and ₹3 per kg of rice, to avail grain from the subsidized PDS.
• This issue price for wheat and rice has not been revised since the introduction of the National Food Security Act in 2013.

The total cost of food subsidies that amounted to about 2.2 per cent of agricultural GDP during the 1990s increased significantly to about 5 per cent during the last decade.

Why these subsidies are a cause of concern?

• Current level of fiscal deficit is difficult to address as even during 1991, fiscal deficit was around 7.5%
• Historically countries like England and Germany faced similar problems during global meltdown.
• Our type of subsidy pattern is similar to these countries.
• Giving subsidies are not empowering people is not the true way. It is not helping the poors the way it should have been.

Challenges to bring subsidies reforms in India

• Subsidy benefits are not reaching to intended person in supply chain due to leakages like middlemen in MSP payments, fertilizer leakage to industry, etc.
• Over the years, subsidies have not empowered the poor people. Ex. Poor spends lakh and lakh of crores on health even after getting subsidy.
• Political will and cooperation from opposition is required in bringing changes to subsidy structure. Ex. Due to lack of opposition support, farmers are protesting against new farm laws
• Government needs to address those details mentioned in NFSA. Ex. Provision of providing rice at Rs. 3 per kg.

Subsidy reforms is really a big fraud affair that it’s hard for govt to go forward.

Way forward

• Indian needs to implement Brazil “Conditional Subsidy Model” called ‘Bolsa Família’ which even Bangladesh has also adopted. It is based on conditional cash transfer.
• Reform should be focused on two points – Direction of change and Time of change. In the direction of change, food subsidy reform should be at last due to covid.
• There should be a public and private partnership model for community health center and public health center in rural India to utilize subsidies in a much better manner.
• A voucher system can be the perfect alternative to food subsidy as it will significantly reduce administrative costs.
• Active centre & states partnership is required to strengthen the health and education sector as both these comes under state legislature.